


Thanks for the Memories (But No Thanks)

by SquirrelNo2



Series: Instrument of Chaos [5]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Memory Alteration, Multi, Time travel aftermath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 24,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27368383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SquirrelNo2/pseuds/SquirrelNo2
Summary: Julie and her friends just want to get back to a nice, normal routine of being a newly famous band (and friends) that also is mostly ghosts. Sure, it's not a normal definition of normal, but that's still better than multiple timelines trying to converge in our heroes' heads, a malfunctioning time travel device, and two powerful and cruel ghosts plotting against them yet again.At least they have each other.
Relationships: Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn & Julie Molina, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson/Reggie
Series: Instrument of Chaos [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953958
Comments: 326
Kudos: 216





	1. You Could Rest in Peace

**Author's Note:**

> I keep thinking I'll run out of weird parenthetical titles and then my 3 am brain comes up with another weird pun/dad joke. Thanks, 3 am brain.  
> Anyway, here it is, my distraction story slash continuation of my ongoing obsession. If you're wondering about certain cliffhangers, yes they'll be followed up on, no we're not at the doom you've all predicted. Yet. I have build-up. This is a saga now.  
> (Back in September I thought this was going to be a five chapter fic? Not whatever this series is? Whoops)  
> Updates will be every day again, because I woke up at 4:30 this morning and just started writing so I've got a backlog of material now. You're welcome.

_The ghost would_ not _stop talking to Julie about starting a band._

_“Look, I’m really sorry, and I get that you want to see your friends, and play music, and everything, but Flynn’s all I can think about right now. I really hurt her,” Julie said. To the ghost’s credit, he shrank back a little, frowning._

_“My friends play songs to cheer me up,” he offered. “Do you ever do any improv?”_

_Julie looked away, first angry that he’d brought it up, then disappointed in herself for getting mad at a boy who was just trying to help._

_“Not since I lost my mom,” she said quietly._

_“I’m sorry,” Reggie said. “Maybe we can write something for her? I might be twenty-years out of practice, but I don’t feel like it.”_

_Julie almost laughed._

_“Ok,” she said. “I’ve got something that could work. Just let me see if I can text Flynn.”_

_“What’s a text?”_

_Once they’d started working on the song, Julie had to admit Reggie had some pretty good bass lines, though there was a decidedly country element to the way he wanted to arrange things. They were slowly working their way towards a middle ground when he looked up at her._

_“So when you say deep dish…”_

_From the look on his face, this had been bothering him since she first brought out the poem._

_“You know, when you gossip about something, you’re dishing,” Julie said. “So deep dish…”_

_“Is pizza?”_

_Julie stared at Reggie. He stared back at her, face open and bright._

_“It’s… secrets,” she said slowly, only to groan when his face twitched into a smile. She threw her pencil at him, and it sailed through him. “You did that on purpose?”_

_“I did wonder if it was pizza before you explained,” he admitted. “But yeah. I appreciate that you tried to keep explaining anyway.”_

_Julie rolled her eyes._

_“Give me my pencil back, and let’s finish this up,” she said. “Hopefully Flynn texts me back.”_

Julie had to take a moment when she woke up. Every now and then she had dreams that her brain thought were real even after she woke; usually, it was silly things like thinking she had to feed Carlos’s pet tortoise that didn’t exist, or a test for a class she wasn’t taking. Sometimes, it was about her mom, and waking up with the dream in mind meant a far more painful realisation.

This dream… this one was somewhere in between.

She knew where it came from, of course. It made sense that she’d dream about the alternate timeline she, Reggie, and Willie had been trapped in, where Reggie was the only member of Sunset Curve to die before their show at the Orpheum. That experience had set off a chain reaction of increasingly bizarre events, and Julie was just now getting a chance to process all of it.

Still, it was a weird kind of sadness to wake up to – the memory of Luke and Alex being in her band, followed by the now-familiar guilt that they’d had to die to join it. Julie pushed her thoughts aside, assuming her memories of her dream would disappear soon enough, and got ready for the day.

It was Saturday, which meant band rehearsal followed by what Flynn insisted on calling “date night” – Willie and Alex usually stole away to wander whatever new, off-limits location caught their fancy, and Flynn would have to go home and hang out with her family (not as much of a tragedy as Flynn liked to pretend, since her family was really cool), and Julie would stick with Luke and Reggie, writing songs until her dad called them in for dinner. It was nice, having a routine after the absolute nonsense Julie had to deal with over the past few months.

She ate breakfast quickly, half-listening to Carlos explain his plans for his Youtube channel to their dad, then hurried out to the studio. Flynn had been working on finding a new gig for them, preferably one that would have a music executive Julie could _finally_ talk to about recording, and Luke was freaking out about the setlist even before they’d gotten a confirmation. Julie grinned fondly when the first thing she heard was Luke explaining earnestly to Reggie, Alex, and Willie why a song absolutely had to be in the middle.

“Julie!” Willie said, and Luke broke off mid-word to smile at her. Julie tried not to laugh at the look of gratitude on Willie’s face. He still had some things to get used to, apparently.

“Morning,” Luke said, wrapping an arm around Julie. She leaned into him for a moment, then wriggled her way in between Alex and Reggie on the couch, leaving Luke to pout dramatically. Reggie laughed as Julie leaned into his shoulder.

“This _is_ the better cuddle opportunity, Luke, maybe you should just get in here,” Julie said.

“We have a show to plan for!” he said in a strangled voice.

“I heard you talking about the setlist,” she said, trying not to laugh at Willie, who was frantically shaking his head at her from the other side of the couch.

“Luke thinks we should bookend with ‘Edge of Great’ and ‘Stand Tall’ since they’re like our anthems, and he wants to do ‘Flying Solo’ and a few of our new songs,” Reggie reported.

The mention of “Flying Solo” took Julie back to her dream, and she tried not to stiffen. It didn’t work; Reggie peered at her in confusion, and Alex nudged her gently.

“You ok?” Alex asked

“Yeah, sorry,” Julie said. She shook off her chills, annoyed with herself for dwelling on her dream again. “I just had a weird dream last night.”

“Oh, hey, me too!” Reggie said.

Everyone stared at him.

“Reggie, ghosts don’t sleep, or dream,” Julie said slowly. Maybe it was a little weird for her, the lifer, to say that, but the boys had complained about it enough.

“That’s why it was weird,” Reggie said.

Julie couldn’t really argue with that. She also couldn’t shake a bad feeling about Reggie’s “dream,” and she was worried that maybe it had less to do with her own brain and more to do with that weird magic sense she’d used at Caleb’s club.

“What was your dream about?” she asked quietly, sitting up to look at him. Reggie avoided her gaze, twisting his fingers gently. Not a good sign.

“Dude,” Luke said, rubbing their boyfriend’s shoulder.

“It was about when we wrote ‘Flying Solo,’” Reggie admitted. “But it was just us.”

“Wait, what do you mean, ‘just us’?” Luke asked, looking between Reggie and Julie like it was a secret they shared.

Except it seemed like maybe it was.

“He means the other timeline, where you and Alex… Where Reggie’s the only Phantom,” Julie said. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to warm the pit in her stomach.

“That was your dream, too, wasn’t it?” Alex asked softly. Julie turned to look at him, but words failed her and she had to nod. Alex bit his lip, looking up at Luke.

“What does that mean?” Reggie asked. He was tugging at his shirt hem now, wrapping his hands up in it. Julie slowly leaned towards him again, and one of Reggie’s hands darted out to grab hers. Luke was fully perched on the arm of the couch now, eyes flicking between Julie and Reggie like he didn’t know what to do.

“We’ll figure it out,” Luke said, his voice surer than his face. He caught Julie looking and smiled softly. “It’s gotta be because you remembered us in that other timeline, right? Willie, did you… did you dream anything?”

Julie looked around, realising Willie had been unusually quiet. Sure, he was still finding ways to fit in the group dynamic, but he usually had _something_ to say by now.

Willie only shrugged, looking as nervous as Julie felt.

“I haven’t,” he said. “But I don’t know if that means anything. I mean, I wasn’t there when you wrote that song.”

“That was when we met,” Alex said quietly. Willie’s eyes widened, then he smiled. There was a brittle edge to it, but Julie wasn’t about to call him out when she was pretty sure they were all about three seconds away from really freaking out.

“I guess without you, that day wouldn’t be anything to dream about,” Willie said to Alex.

“How come you two never say anything smooth like that to me?” Reggie asked.

“Reggie, we literally write you songs, don’t even play,” Julie said fondly.

“But they have a bass part, why wouldn’t I play?”

Julie almost, _almost_ explained herself, but then she caught the too-innocent way Reggie was smiling.

“Bro, you know that’s not what she meant, right?” Alex said.

“He knows,” Julie said, mock-darkly. She pushed at Reggie’s back until he stood, and then held her arms out for Reggie and Luke to take and pull her up. If she had two boyfriends, she was going to _milk_ it, darn it. She clapped her hands as she turned to survey all her ghost boys.

“Rehearsal time,” she said. “We can worry about the weird magic stuff later.”

“Sounds good, boss,” Luke said. He turned to get his guitar, then hesitated.

“You’re sure you’re good?” he asked her quietly.

“I’m fine, Luke, really,” Julie said, because she would be as long as they were playing. “Am I the boss or not?”

He grinned.

“I feel like I should be telling you to get a room,” Willie said. “I mean, you mock us for the screaming in a museum thing, but this is… way more uncomfortable to watch.”

“I’m fine with it,” Reggie said cheerfully.

“I wonder why,” Alex said to the ceiling as he sat down at his drums. “Can we play now, or are you going to continue your obscure musician courting rituals?”

“You say that like you’re not a musician,” Willie said with a laugh, stretching across the newly empty couch.

“I’m a drummer, it kind of depends on who you ask,” Alex said.

Julie started to warm up, her dream finally fading from her thoughts the way all dreams should. It was a temporary fix, she knew, but an arpeggio was something she could handle, and it made her feel a little more like she could handle whatever else was coming.


	2. It's Out of My Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb and Ava try to put their plans in motion. Flynn's day goes rapidly downhill.

Caleb wasn’t _happy_ that Ava had moved into his club, letting her things sprawl over every available space in his dressing room, but he couldn’t deny the excitement racing through him as she finally withdrew her Instrument, as she called it, from her bag.

“It hummed before, when you used it,” Caleb said. The little sphere sat still and dead in her hands. “That’s the magic?”

“It used to be just a reaction to the love around it,” Ava said. “Now, yes, it would take magic to do that again.”

“And that is how you’ll know it’s working?” Caleb checked.

“Worried?” Ava asked. She smirked at him. “Confused? I supposed you’re unaccustomed to being the most ignorant one in the room. A good con artist relies on knowing more than his marks, after all. I suppose that’s why you can’t play me.”

“I played you like a fiddle in 1995,” Caleb retorted.

Ava shrugged.

“I wanted data, I got it,” she said. “I was disappointed that I didn’t find out how far I needed to push the kids, but I’ll admit you finally did something marginally interesting that night. Your reasoning was predictable, but making Reggie the bringer of death? Inspired.”

Caleb rolled his eyes.

“And you accuse me of dramatics,” he said. “Hand it over, let’s get this done. I want my club back.”

“I’m not going to simply _give_ you my Instrument,” Ava said. “I hold it. You work. That’s how we’ll do this.”

Caleb yearned to snatch the Instrument from Ava and crack it over her smug head, but they were ghosts and he still needed her. He supposed he could craft a suitably painful bit of payback for her once things were as they should be and Julie Molina was out of the way.

“Fine,” he said. “What sort of spell are you looking for?”

Ava stared at him.

“You can’t just… charge it up?” she asked.

Caleb could not believe this woman was as powerful as him. The universe had clearly made a mistake.

“Do you think magic just floats around in the ether?” he demanded. “I need a purpose to channel it towards.”

“So channel it towards my Instrument!” Ava said, shaking it slightly for emphasis. Caleb pinched his nose.

“I highly doubt that will work,” he said.

“I’m sorry, who’s the expert here?” Ava snapped.

“You aren’t the expert on magic, or have you forgotten why you needed me in the first place?” Caleb demanded. He changed his mind; no help from Ava was worth this much time with the woman. He reached out, hoping to shock her soul.

A fire spread inside him from his ribcage out, and he doubled over, gasping. A moment later, the feeling cleared, and Caleb looked up to see Ava staring at him in astonishment.

“I may not know much about magic,” she said. “But that was you trying to break your deal, wasn’t it?”

Caleb didn’t reply. That shouldn’t have happened; the most his attempt at a broken agreement should have caused was Julie and her little friends trying to bust down his door, and even that would only have happened if they realised what he’d done.

To actively _prevent_ him from hurting someone… it made sense, given what he’d seen of Julie. She was quite the little bleeding heart. But it required a level of power, and usually control, that she clearly didn’t even realise she possessed.

“Let’s just try it,” Caleb grumbled, standing slowly. An aftershock of pain set his hands shaking, and he clenched them furiously. Bad enough some teenaged lifer had beaten him. Now Ava was witness to his weakness?

“Finally,” Ava said, offering up the Instrument. “I wish you’d been an idiot sooner, if that’s what gets you moving. I never knew pain was such a motivator for you, Caleb.”

He gritted his teeth, trying not to think about all the ways he’d love to hurt her, and gingerly touched the Instrument. It was cold under his fingers, and he searched his brain for something to try. Maybe a variation on his stamp? If they wanted to control the Instrument, surely that was a good place to start.

The deep, floor-pulsing hum started up. Ava laughed in delight, and Caleb gripped the Instrument a bit tighter in case she got any bright ideas about leaving without him. The hum grew in volume, until Caleb’s head felt like it was shaking, and then it started to sputter.

“What –“ Ava said just before the Instrument rolled from her hand, the sound cutting off abruptly. It came to a stop under Caleb’s dressing room table.

“That thing is not just a device, is it?” Caleb asked her. Ava didn’t answer. She knelt in front of the table, cooing to the Instrument like a particularly pathetic cat owner.

“Please, come back, I’m sorry, I won’t let him touch you anymore if that’s what you don’t like,” she said. “Come here. I’m here. It’s all right, you just have to work for me and things will go back to how they were.”

Caleb was beginning to realise he had no idea what he’d gotten himself into.

Flynn couldn’t quite say what it was, but the vibe was weird when she arrived at Julie’s place.

Everybody was doing their usual thing: Julie and the Phantoms being their musical genius selves, though they were sweet enough to break off and greet Flynn when she arrived, and Willie sprawled out on the couch watching them, though mostly Alex because he was a sap like that. Willie bent his knees to clear space for Flynn on the couch, and she sat down with a grateful pat to his shin.

“This is that new one, right?” she said. “Can I hear it from the top, or were you working on a specific section?”

Julie and Luke looked at each other, though the silent conversation went on weirdly long, and at one point Julie looked over at Reggie as if for permission. Flynn frowned. Something was definitely weird.

“Sure,” Julie said finally, plunking out a few playful chords to keep Luke and Alex visible and shaking her hands out.

As Julie played the intro, Flynn leaned over to Willie.

“So what’s actually up?” she whispered to him.

“We don’t… really know,” Willie said. “I’m sure they’ll tell you after this song.”

Flynn’s misgivings grew.

“And if they don’t, I will be publicly shaming every single one of you,” she said. “You know I will.”

“Don’t worry, Flynn, I fear your social censure,” Willie said. “I have _so many_ friends who I talk to all the time.”

“Don’t be snarky, that’s my thing,” Flynn said. “And speaking of things, can ghosts shed? I swear I found a hair on my stuff the other day, and it’s too long to be Carlos’s and too straight to be mine or Julie’s.”

Willie grinned at her with one side of his mouth.

“None of me is straight,” he said. Flynn supposed she should have seen that coming.

When Julie finished playing and Luke and Alex had disappeared from Flynn’s view – _someday_ they were going to fix that, it was getting annoying – Julie came over and sat next to Flynn. The weirdness intensified.

“Ok, what’s wrong?” Flynn asked.

“I had a weird dream last night,” Julie said slowly. “And so did Reggie.”

“I thought the guys can’t sleep,” Flynn said, looking at Willie for confirmation, who nodded. She looked over at Reggie, still standing by his microphone with his bass clutched close to his body.

“Do you remember much about the other timeline?” Julie asked. Flynn whipped her head around to stare at each of her friends in turn. They all looked grim. She had a feeling Luke and Alex were making similar faces.

“Kind of,” Flynn said, looking back at Julie. “When things changed back it was like… waking up? Like when you’re dreaming and the world makes sense and you know all the things you’re supposed to know, but you don’t remember more than what you did in the dream once you’re awake again.” The dream analogy was maybe a little uncomfortable given where Flynn thought this was going, but it was also the only explanation she had.

“You and Reggie dreamed about the other timeline, didn’t you?” Flynn asked.

“It was the same dream,” Julie said. Flynn pulled Julie into a hug. Julie wrapped her arms around her gratefully.

“Tell me about it,” Flynn said. “I’ll tell you if it sounds like it happened.”

Julie nodded as she pulled away.

“It was about ‘Flying Solo,’” she said. “You were upset at me for lying, just like here, and Reggie suggested a song since that’s what Luke and Alex do when he’s upset.”

“That’s so cute,” Flynn said, distracted. “Like, that is adorable. Not that I want Reggie to be upset, sorry, Reggie, but I kind of want to see that?”

“Something tells me it’ll happen again, the way things are going,” Reggie said mournfully. He stumbled a little, and directed a plaintive, “Dude!” to his right. Luke, probably, comforting Reggie with his favourite non-music tactic. Flynn pushed herself to focus on Julie again.

“Sorry, continue,” Flynn said. Julie shook her head fondly.

“Mostly it was just us working on it,” she said. “Reggie really wanted to arrange it so it sounded more country, and it came out sounding… pretty different than here.”

“I remember that much,” Flynn said. “Not quite what it sounded like? But that it was different. And you told me the song was Reggie’s idea, you know, that he wanted to make sure we made up.”

“So it probably happened?” Reggie asked, finally coming closer. From the way he was holding himself, Flynn was almost positive Luke was still hanging off him like a baby possum.

“Hey, no,” Flynn said. She pointed at Reggie, then Julie, then turned around to point at Willie for good measure. “No, it didn’t happen, because it never happened. It _could have_ happened, but that’s different. Ok? Whatever’s going on, the past isn’t different now, not since the last time it turned out to be different anyway, and we can figure this out without the doom and gloom. Because we’re amazing like that. Right?”

Her friends were smiling. Flynn mentally patted herself on the back.

“You’re freaking out, aren’t you?” Julie asked her quietly. Flynn’s impulse was to say she was fine, but she was trying to work on that. She took a deep breath and looked for the honest answer.

“On the inside, absolutely,” Flynn said, as matter-of-factly as she could manage. “I’m trying to channel it in a productive way. I _might_ call Nick just to scream into the phone for a few minutes tonight. Literally scream. That’s where I’m at right now.”

“We are _so_ lucky that kid puts up with the crazy,” Julie observed, leaning against Flynn.

“Yeah, even if half our friends are dead, I think we lucked out,” Flynn said, pressing her forehead to Julie’s temple. “Are you music-ed out for the day?”

Willie snorted.

“Has that ever happened with them?” he asked.

It had, at least with Julie, for an entire year; Flynn took a moment to wonder how much anybody had actually told Willie about why Julie and the boys ended up in each others’ orbit. Now was _not_ the time for that conversation, though, and as far as right now went he definitely had a point.

“Two minutes for a pity party slash freak out, then we work on the bridge for that song,” Julie said. “I had an idea about the harmonies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Willie not knowing about Julie's mom relevant? maaaaybe. not soon but. relevant.  
> I have no idea how much Nick is actually going to show up in this one, but he's around. He and Flynn trade screaming sessions sometimes when being the calm one gets too much. I'm very proud of them.  
> Next up: more dreams, and Willie finally talks about something that's been bothering him since the early days of this series.


	3. Our Stars Collided

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willie gets vulnerable. Julie and Flynn get worried.

Willie’s gut had been squirming since Saturday, which was impressive given his gut was intangible and empty. Reggie and Julie’s shared dream worried him; he’d never heard of anything like it before, and while he’d also never heard of people time travelling or changing the past before it happened to him, those had at least been the kind of things people like to speculate on. There were theories about time travel.

It had him wondering what other kinds of things Julie and Reggie might dream of. Worse, it had him wondering if he’d had a dream like it, somewhere in his moments when he forgot he wasn’t one of Caleb’s anymore. What he’d said to Alex had been the truth: Alex was the first big change in his life in maybe a decade.

Finally, when Julie was at school and Alex and Luke were hanging out somewhere else, Willie sucked it up. He went over to the main house, where Reggie was leaning over Ray’s shoulder and offering unsolicited (and unheard) opinions on his photos, and got ready to dig into something he’d rather leave buried.

“Hey, Reggie, can we talk?” he asked.

“Sure, man,” Reggie said, polite enough not to express the confusion Willie could see on his face. “See you in a bit, Ray!” To Willie’s amusement, Reggie left the room and walked down the hall a ways, apparently to give them privacy in spite of the fact nobody could hear them anyway.

“What’s up, bro? Are you feeling ok?” Reggie gasped dramatically before Willie could reply. “Did you have a dream, too?”

“No! No, I didn’t. It’s kind of about that, though,” Willie said. “In the other timeline, we’d never met.”

“Yeah,” Reggie said. “I mean, you never met Alex anyway. And I think that me liked to stick around Julie’s house, because it’s really weird seeing places you used to know, and that’s _with_ Alex and Luke with me –“

“And that’s why Caleb never met you,” Willie said. Reggie quieted immediately.

“Yeah, probably,” he agreed. “Are you…” He tangled his fingers in his flannel nervously, then let go and straightened up just a bit. “You said you had a question?”

Willie hugged himself, avoiding Reggie’s earnest gaze.

“Sometimes I forget that I don’t belong to Caleb,” he admitted. A quick glance told Willie that the other ghost was practically bursting with panicked questions, but thankfully Reggie held them in. “If I had one of those dreams, I wouldn’t know, because it would just feel like that. Unless…”

“Unless what?” Reggie prompted, uncharacteristically soft.

“Do you know? Did you know, when you had that dream, that things weren’t really like that? Or were you living it?”

“I wasn’t living it,” Reggie said. “I was remembering it. As though that was how it happened. I didn’t know Luke and Alex were around, I didn’t know we’d time travelled, I didn’t know… Well, I didn’t know who you were.”

“So it could be happening to me,” Willie said. “And if we forget the way the world really is… If it lasts, I won’t know I was ever free.”

“Ok, that’s it, you need a hug,” Reggie said, his face screwed up like he was trying not to cry. “Come here.”

Willie put up a show of reluctance, but he wrapped his arms around Reggie when they got close enough.

“You’re family now, dude,” Reggie said. “Look, even if that happened, even if for some reason Julie and I were ok with you leaving even though you _know_ we’d want to get to know you, even if _Luke_ let you leave which he definitely wouldn’t – Alex would never. I’ve known him for years, ok? You could tell him you hated him and he’d still make sure you’re ok.”

“I’d never hate Alex,” Willie said.

“Well, yeah, obviously, but I’m inventing worst-case scenarios here, work with me,” Reggie said. Willie laughed as he pulled away from the hug.

“Tell me if you forget like that,” Reggie said. “Please?”

Willie didn’t mention that if he forgot everything, he’d forget a promise to Reggie, too.

“Yeah, of course,” he said.

_“Julie! I’m ready to rock this!”_

_Julie almost fell over the speaker when Reggie turned up, clutching his bass with a triumphant grin._

_“Can we get you some kind of bell or something?” she demanded, feeling like a little old lady as she clutched her heart._

_“Julie!” Flynn hissed. Julie turned to see Flynn staring over with a question on her face. Julie gave her a thumbs-up and mimed strumming a guitar. Flynn perked up and waved at Reggie, hiding her hand just behind her turntable. Reggie waved back._

_“You know she can’t see you, right?”_

_“I was trying to be polite,” Reggie said._

_“It’s almost nine,” Julie said. “We should get things set up.” When she started to walk away, Reggie grabbed her arm._

_“Are you sure about this? I mean, it’s only the two of us, and we’ve got kind of a weird sound, and I clearly should have spent more time learning guitar and less on things like bassoon and harmonica, and all our songs are new? You know, maybe they could use a little more work –“_

_“Reggie, do you have stage fright?” Julie asked. This boy had literally stood onstage in front of her entire school after playing for them and wiggled his butt to find out if they could see him. Julie would be forever_ _grateful the answer had been no._

 _“No,” Reggie said. “Maybe. Is this what it feels like? I’ve never actually had stage fright, it’s_ way _easier to be around people when you’re performing for them.”_

_“It’s what it looks like,” Julie said. “What’s going on?”_

_Reggie shook his head._

_“I’ve never played without them,” he said quietly._

_“Your band,” Julie said softly. “Right. Sunset Swerve.”_

_“Curve!” he corrected her indignantly. She smiled at him._

_“I know,” she said. Reggie pouted._

_“That’s my joke,” he said. “And yeah. Don’t get me wrong, Julie, you’re great, and you sing like an angel, but… it was one thing when I didn’t know I’d be performing with you. That spirit rally, it was like a jam session. A real show without the guys, though?”_

_“Flynn’s the only person I have left that I ever played with before,” Julie said. “And I haven’t played with her in over a year. Our old friend, Carrie, bailed on us years ago, and my mom…”_

_Reggie reached out like he wanted to hug her, only to remember at the last second that they couldn’t touch._

_“So we’re doing this together, then,” she said. “Something new for both of us.”_

_Reggie smiled._

_“Let’s rock this dance,” he said again._

“Julie!”

Flynn’s voice broke through sharply. The shapes and colours of Julie’s math classroom returned to her field of view, and she gripped the pencil in her hand so hard it snapped. Half the class turned to look, including the teacher.

“I – sorry,” Julie said. “This pencil was half-broken anyway. Sorry.” She ducked under her desk to grab a new pencil from her bag. Flynn leaned down a second later.

“What was that about? You completely left the building there,” Flynn hissed.

“I had another… another one of those dreams,” Julie said.

“Julie, you weren’t asleep,” Flynn said. “Unless you’ve somehow mastered the art of sleeping with your eyes open and sitting up straight, and you just didn’t share said secret with me, which seems highly unlikely.”

“All right, so it’s not a dream,” Julie said. “But I saw – Reggie and I were at the school dance.”

“You did play it, in the other world,” Flynn said softly. “Bobby never stole the guys’ music. Willie never met Reggie. No Caleb, remember?”

“I remember,” Julie said. They both straightened up in their seats.

“This is bad, right? That it’s hitting you when you’re awake?” Flynn asked. “Do you think Reggie saw it, too?”

“He did last time,” Julie said. “I want to know if Willie’s seen anything. Everything that connects Reggie and I to this, connects him too.”

“Without Alex, though, wasn’t his life – or, you know, _death_ – just more of the same? Maybe he just thinks he’s having regular flashbacks,” Flynn said. The idea made Julie squirm. They were trying so hard to make sure Willie was comfortable and happy at her house, and the idea that something like this could go unnoticed or unmentioned brought back all that newly-buried guilt.

“We’ll ask him when we get home,” Julie said. “And yeah, Flynn, it probably is bad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A weird amount of Reggie for a chapter that is not actually Reggie-centric. Huh. You're welcome, Reggie stans?  
> Anyway, further information on the dreams! Except, clearly, they're not dreams.  
> You will notice, if you follow me on Tumblr, that I have shoved a brand new headcanon of mine in here. Reggie plays multiple instruments, I firmly believe he enjoys playing weird instruments, and also the more I think about it the more the bassoon vibe specifically just makes sense to me. Quirky, probably enjoys making weird noises, dedicated to the craft. Anyway Reggie collects weird instruments and this is my crusade now. I'm not saying he plays all of them well, but he has put an effort into learning a lot of them. Because it's fun. As far as ways I've projected onto characters go, this is probably the least painful one.  
> Next up, there is one person in the world who knows anything about time travel, so Julie and friends don't have any other option when it comes to tracking down answers.


	4. Get Ready to Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reggie makes a surprising suggestion. There's some Big Queer Energy to tide you over until the angst really kicks in next chapter.

“You want to do _what?”_

Luke gaped at Reggie, then looked at Julie for help. She looked as surprised as he felt. They had just met up in the studio after Julie and Flynn got back from school, and before anybody could so much as talk about their day Reggie had suggested they track down Ava again.

“She’s the only person who knows anything about this,” Reggie said. Luke stared at him, trying to figure out what brought this on. Flynn would have suggested it; Alex or Willie, maybe. But Reggie? This wasn’t his style.

“Did something happen?” Julie asked. Reggie gulped visibly. Luke reached out, rubbing Reggie’s shoulder.

“Bro,” he said softly. “What’s wrong?”

“I had another one,” Reggie said quickly. Luke was almost sure that wasn’t all of it, but pushing Reggie to tell the truth usually just resulted in chaos.

“Tell me it wasn’t about the school dance,” Flynn said.

“Uh,” Reggie said. “What am I supposed to tell you, then?”

“Oh, my god,” Flynn said. “Julie! I know it’s weird that Reggie’s the one who said it, but I’m with him! We have to figure this out because it’s clearly not a one-time thing.”

“Ok, I know,” Julie said, holding up her hands like she wanted everybody to slow down. Luke did not blame her. “We have to talk to my dad about this, too. We promised.”

Luke bit back his instinctive protest. Ray was a good dad, and it was fine. He’d helped them before. It was fine.

“Willie, are you _sure_ you didn’t have any… flashback things?” Julie asked.

Willie glanced at Reggie. Luke’s questions increased.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I might have?”

“Wait, how do you not know? It was a whole different timeline,” Luke blurted.

“Dude!” Alex said quickly.

Willie gave Luke a small grin.

“Caleb was the same, though,” he said. “Hard to tell which memories I’m thinking about when they’re that similar.”

Alex reached out, taking Willie’s hand and pulling him closer. Reggie’s shoulders slumped, and Luke realised Reggie had been standing a half-step in front of Willie since everyone got back. The questions were now so numerous they’d merged into one big question. It was taking all of Luke’s willpower not to ask.

“Julie had one of those at school,” Flynn said. “While she was awake.”

“That’s how you knew Reggie saw the dance,” Luke said. Julie nodded.

“I’m gonna go talk to my dad,” she said. She looked at Luke with a crease between her eyebrows, and nodded to Reggie. Luke smiled at her. He was _definitely_ ready to check on Reggie. He didn’t like not knowing what was going on with him.

“Reggie, what’s really going on?” Luke asked him quietly as Julie and Flynn left. He gingerly wrapped his arm around Reggie’s shoulders, and relaxed when Reggie leaned into him.

“It’s fine,” Reggie said unconvincingly.

“Then why’d you and Willie look like the world ended while we were gone?” Luke said. “Dude. Did Willie have one of those memories?”

“We really don’t know,” Reggie said. “It’s… He was just worried. We talked. Willie wasn’t going to say anything about Ava, I think, so I brought it up.”

“You know, you’re a really good person,” Luke said fondly. Reggie smirked at him, not too worried to be proud of himself, and Luke took a second to commit the expression to memory.

The wait for Julie and Flynn’s return was brief but anxious, and the cloud of worry didn’t lift when Ray followed behind them.

“I hear you want to go back to that ghost,” he said, casting a surprisingly stern glance around considering he couldn’t see most of the people there. “The one who you _didn’t_ tell me sent you to an alternate universe and back in time?”

He said it like he still couldn’t believe it, which was fair given Luke sometimes couldn’t, either.

“Did you mention the memories?” Alex asked Julie.

“Yeah,” she said. “That’s why he’s here and didn’t just say no immediately.”

Ray looked at her and sighed.

“There’s nothing else you could do?” he asked, though Luke was pretty sure Ray already knew the answer.

“Not that we know of,” Julie said. “We have to do something, dad. If this gets worse…”

Reggie tensed under Luke’s arm. Julie looked over at them for a single, fearful second.

“I understand,” her dad said. “And I’m taking you there again. Deal?”

Julie nodded.

Flynn’s phone dinged, and she pulled it out only to glare at it.

“Could you tell my parents I really need to stay over longer?” she asked Ray pleadingly. He half-smiled and shook his head.

“I know you want to help, but you should go home. It’s ok.”

Flynn looked at Julie, who gave her a shaky smile and lifted her arms tentatively. Flynn hugged her, digging her fingers into Julie’s shirt.

“Please be careful,” Flynn said.

“We will,” Julie said. “I’ll text you with everything, ok?”

With one last reluctant glance at her friends, Flynn left. Julie turned to her dad.

“Can we go now?” she asked. “There’s an hour before Carlos gets home. I know it’s not great, but…”

Ray sighed again.

“You’re sure it will be quick? She won’t try anything?”

“Not sure about ‘sure,’” Willie muttered. Alex nudged him.

“As sure as we can be,” Julie said. “She’s the only one who might know what’s happening to us.”

“Come on, then,” Ray said, resigned. “Are… the boys coming, too?”

Julie looked over at them with pleading eyes.

“We’ll ride along with you,” Reggie offered immediately. “We’re your boyfriends, right?”

Julie smiled brightly at Reggie and Luke. Even as worried as Luke was, he couldn’t help but smile back.

“Yeah, I think maybe we’ll just poof there,” Alex said with a glance at Willie. “Given my options otherwise are variations on fourth-wheeling.”

“At least four’s an even number,” Willie offered. “Do we count as two wheels or one?”

“We are _so_ not having this discussion right now,” Julie said, turning on her heel and leading the way out of the studio. Ray tilted his head, clearly debating the wisdom of asking what had happened. To Luke’s relief, he decided to follow Julie out without saying anything about her exit.

“I guess he took it ok?” Luke asked when they were in the car, Julie squished into the middle seat in spite of the fact that anybody looking would probably wonder why.

“I’m pretty sure he’s freaking out on the inside,” Julie said. “Usually, he at least _knows_ he’s left something somewhere. He tried to walk out of the house without shoes.”

Luke winced. Reggie made a tiny noise of sympathy.

“It’s ok,” Julie said, clearly for the benefit of everybody in the car. “We’ll find Ava, ask her about what’s going on, and be home in time to tell Carlos to do his homework.”

Ray grinned at that, glancing at Julie in the rearview mirror.

“And how’s your homework doing, Julie?” he asked.

“Fine!” Julie said in her lie-voice. Luke and Reggie exchanged amused glances. Ray nodded, clearly unconvinced, but he didn’t press. Luke could respect that.

When they reached the street corner where Ray had dropped them off before, with Dante, Reggie made sure to say goodbye to Ray before they went.

“Just wait here, we’ll be out soon, I promise,” Julie said.

“ _Mija…_ ” Ray said.

“If she doesn’t seem like she’ll help, we’ll leave,” Julie said. “I can handle it, I swear.”

That much they all knew was true. Reggie remembered the flash of light that had thrown Caleb across a room, and wasn’t sure whether to grin or shiver. His girlfriend could be _scary_ , especially when the magic powers got involved.

“Ok,” Ray said. He looked like he was about to say something else, but then he just nodded. “Ok.”

Julie kissed him on the cheek. When she stood up, she grabbed Luke and Reggie each by a hand.

“Do you see Alex or Willie?” Julie asked as they headed for Ava’s door, looking around.

“Ooh! There!” Reggie said when they turned the corner. Alex and Willie were waiting nervously by that same grey door from before. He waved at them, and Alex rolled his eyes fondly as Willie laughed.

“Ok,” Julie said. “Let’s… knock?”

Reggie was looking around, trying to see if anything had changed since last time, when somebody looked down the alley. They pulled back and walked away before Reggie could get a good look, but he _knew_ they were familiar.

“Reggie?” Julie said. Reggie realised he’d taken a few steps toward the alley entrance.

“Thought I saw somebody familiar,” he said. “Not that I know who.”

“Who do you even know that would look the same?” Julie asked. “I mean, everybody you know now you’d probably recognise, right?”

“Yeah, it’s probably nothing,” Reggie said, still trying to figure out why that face had been familiar. “I mean, the only new people I’ve met since we died have been through you and Caleb – oh!”

“And you figured it out?” Luke guessed, looking amused.

“I think it’s somebody from the club,” Reggie said. His friends exchanged nervous looks.

“Is Caleb letting them out?” Alex asked hesitantly. “Or… maybe he can’t control them?”

“He couldn’t handle everybody, and he can’t punish us without breaking his promise,” Willie said. He coughed. “Them. He can’t punish the club ghosts.”

Alex squeezed Willie’s hand.

“If I were them I’d want to know what Ava’s up to,” Willie said, and if his voice started out soft and crackly, Reggie wasn’t about to say anything. He could read a room. Or an alley. How literally should he build his metaphors? Was “reading an alley” still something that he could say and make sense with?

“You think so?” Alex asked, pulling Reggie out of the curiosity spiral.

“I’d be wondering if she could help,” Willie admitted. “I mean, not that I doubt you, Julie, but most of them don’t know you. They wouldn’t trust a promise to keep Caleb from hurting them.”

“Good,” Julie said. “Nobody should trust Caleb.”

“Come on,” Luke spoke up. He knocked on Ava’s door. “Let’s do this.”

There was no answer.

“Maybe she’s still freaking out about her time travel thing?” Reggie suggested. “It was unlocked last time, right?”

Julie tested the door, which swung open as easily as last time. When they stepped inside, though, things were different.

The table and cabinet that had dominated the space were stripped bare and empty. No books, no papers or maps or pens strewn everywhere. The little sphere that had caused so many problems was gone from its cabinet, which stood with its door hanging open off one hinge.

“Did she… leave?” Alex asked, touching the table tentatively. “I mean, if something happened, all her stuff would still be here, right?”

“Who’d even want that, is the real question,” Julie said. “All that… _research_ about what happens when different people die. It’s horrible.”

“Or when people live,” Reggie murmured, only realising he’d said it aloud when Luke and Julie reached for him in unison. He smiled at them.

“I guess if she’s not here, there’s nothing to do,” Willie said slowly, eyeing the cabinet where the time travel thing had been. He passed a finger through the broken hinge thoughtfully. “Do you think this has anything to do with the memories?”

“Do we think it _doesn’t_?” Alex asked. “I mean, what else could it be?”

“It’s Ava,” Willie said. “From what I can tell, she does things for the fun of it. She could have packed up on a whim. Maybe she just moved.”

“So now we have even more questions than before,” Julie said. She threw up her hands. “Great.”

“Hey, we can do this,” Luke said, taking her hands in his. He stared into her eyes earnestly. Julie started to smile, though she seemed reluctant. “We’ve made it this far, right? And you’ve got rad superpowers, and some pretty cool bandmates and friends, and we’re gonna make it. We’ll figure it out. We always do.”

Julie hugged him. Reggie’s chest hurt in the good way, like a muscle after a workout. He loved his partners so much.

Oh god, were they there yet? Did Reggie have to do more soul-searching?

"You ok?" Alex asked him.

"Yep," Reggie squeaked. "Yes, I just... I have a boyfriend and a girlfriend?"

Alex nodded slowly.

"Yeah," he said. "You don't really shut up about it."

Reggie wasn't sure he could blush, but he was sure that his face was making a valiant attempt at it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me frantically re-reading to make sure I didn't have Flynn respond to Alex or Luke because I forgot she still can't see them  
> I'm fixing that I swear! the plot is. so much to juggle though  
> Anyway I don't know about this chapter, clearly it took me Some Time compared to other chapters, but I'm feeling good about it. Sometimes you gotta get that exposition out of the way, especially when there's too much dramatic irony for the story to function. Now they know Ava's doing something new with her life! Not what she's doing, but still  
> Next, Molina family movie night to unwind, except it's me so you know things will continue to go wrong


	5. A Voice I Can't Forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A food fight occurs. Willie's worst fear is realised, and unfortunately it's a little worse than being pelted with popcorn.

By decree of Julie’s dad, the evening was dedicated to family relaxation time. Carlos, of course, was absolutely down for a movie night and only asked once why Julie and their dad seemed so tense. Julie gave him the edited-for-ten-year-olds version – needed advice about ghost stuff, but the ghost they wanted to ask had disappeared – and although she wasn’t sure Carlos fully believed her, he at least seemed to believe she needed him not to ask anymore.

Instead, he pulled up Netflix, eagerly campaigning for a horror movie on the grounds that they lived with ghosts so was anything _really_ scary anymore?

Julie and her dad both said yes, some things are, pick a different movie. Finally, they ended up with _Casper_ , which wasn’t exactly Julie’s first choice but would probably lead to something funny from the guys so she’d allow Carlos this one.

“So what movie are we watching?” Alex asked as he, Willie, Luke, and Reggie joined Julie and her family in front of the tv. Julie kindly pretended not to notice the looks of longing Luke was giving the popcorn bowl in Carlos’s lap.

“Carlos picked something out,” Julie said mysteriously. Willie gave her a look like he knew exactly what was about to happen, but to her delight he didn’t say anything, instead perching on the coffee table in front of Carlos. Julie had a moment of complete cognitive dissonance when she realised that Carlos’s view of the screen would not be affected at all, and she had to stare at her lap for a second to process.

“You ok?” Luke asked.

“You know, even with all the weirdness, sometimes I actually forget you’re ghosts?” Julie said. “I’m just. Taking a moment.” She held up her hands, breathed out, then nodded. “Ok. I’m good now. Come here.”

She, Carlos, and their dad were sharing the couch, so she tugged Luke down to sit at her feet. He leaned his head against her knee with a sweet little grin up at her. Reggie plopped down beside him before Julie could so much as reach for him, his back pressed snugly against her shins as he tangled his arm with Luke’s.

The instant the movie started playing, Reggie turned to stare at Julie with a disappointed expression.

“Really?” he asked. “This is hurtful.”

Julie held up her hands defensively, trying not to laugh.

“Carlos picked it,” she said.

“I wanted to make sure we got some ghost representation up in here,” Carlos said mock-seriously, catching on to the conversation. Julie laughed as Reggie pouted. Alex, on the floor in front of Willie with his head leaning back against the table, sat up to look over at them.

“You’re the one who decided to haunt the house in the first place,” he pointed out. Reggie pouted harder, and Julie patted his shoulder sympathetically.

“You can pick the next one,” she promised him.

“So we’re either going to wait twenty minutes while he decides, or just watch Star Wars,” Alex predicted. Reggie snatched a piece of popcorn from the bowl in Carlos’s lap and tossed it at him, making Julie’s dad jump. Carlos started to laugh.

“Here you go, Julie, let your ghosts have a food fight,” he said, passing her the bowl. Julie sat frozen as Luke and Reggie turned wide eyes up to her.

Then she was scrambling to stand on the couch, holding the bowl aloft over her head, as all three of her bandmates lunged for the bowl. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her dad slowly lower his head into his hands, though his shoulders were shaking with laughter.

Willie was in a house.

Not an empty mansion, just begging to be skateboarded through, but a warmly lit home, with a movie playing and _some_ kind of presumably-familial chaos happening on the couch behind him. He was sitting on the table, like he belonged there.

Nobody was watching the movie, it seemed, though Willie felt a twinge of amusement when he realised it was _Casper the Friendly Ghost_. Instead, the older man and the boy on the couch were both staring in fascination as a girl hopped around on top of a couch cushion, trying to keep a bowl away from three boys around Willie’s own age.

Willie frowned. Not boys. Ghosts.

Could these lifers see them?

“Willie!” the girl called, startling him. “A little help?”

“Uh…” Willie said, panicked. Did he know her? Was he supposed to know her? Who _was_ she?

“Hey, you can’t ask him to betray Alex like that!” one of the boys said, pausing to cross his arms and frown at her.

“Uncool, Julie,” the other dark-haired boy added with a grin as the blonde lunged for the bowl, missing with his wild grab but successfully sending popcorn spilling onto the couch. The younger boy sitting next to them opened his mouth, trying to catch some.

“Well, you two have betrayed me,” the girl – Julie – huffed, nudging the blonde away with her foot. There was a care there even in the midst of the tussle that made Willie smile.

“We would never!” said the first one who’d spoken, immediately reaching for the bowl. The blonde boy turned to roll his eyes at Willie, like he was in on the joke, and Willie swallowed hard.

Maybe it was the lonely queer kid in him, but a cute boy making eye contact? A smile? Willie was, in certain contexts, very weak, and he knew this.

He realised he’d been staring and hastily summoned all his cool to smile back. He added a little eyebrow raise for good measure.

“Should I just… pause the movie?” the one adult in the room said, startling Willie. Julie looked sheepish, lowering the bowl slightly. The first boy to speak also calmed down, muttering a “sorry” under his breath.

The one with the longer brown hair snatched a handful of popcorn while Julie was distracted and proceeded to toss all of it at the blonde boy, who was still grinning at Willie.

“Dude!” he exclaimed, the moment ruined. Willie’s chest ached as he watched the argument start. They were so cheerful, even as Julie gave in and started to pelt them all with popcorn. Willie was startled to realise that the pieces she threw didn’t go through the ghosts.

Was this why he was here? Was Caleb trying to strike up some kind of deal with this lifer? Why couldn’t he remember?

“You ok?” the blonde boy asked him. Willie hadn’t even realised he’d stepped closer.

“Yeah,” Willie said automatically. What if he said the wrong thing, and he had to leave? For all the chaos, it was weirdly peaceful here.

The boy reached for his face, and Willie watched his hand with equal parts alarm and anticipation.

“You’ve got some popcorn,” the boy said, tugging a piece out of Willie’s hair. Willie watched his fingers withdraw slowly from the tips of his hair, swallowing hard.

“Thanks,” he said.

“No problem,” Alex said, glancing at Willie’s lips for a second, and Willie sat down on the table hard.

He’d forgotten Alex.

“Willie?” Alex said, looking him over in alarm.

“I’m fine,” Willie said. “I’m just…”

“Wait, Julie, remember how we were talking about maybe you could help us eat?” Reggie asked. Willie thanked everybody who might have been listening that Reggie had picked that moment to ask, because it wasn’t long before Luke and Reggie had dragged Alex into the discussion. Alex kept sending him worried glances, and Willie was almost sure Julie was keeping an eye on him even as she protested that she had no idea how her powers worked, but neither one asked.

Willie closed his eyes and let the sounds of his friends talking wash over him. His _family_ , he reminded himself. He had that now, for the first time since he’d died.

No matter what, he wasn’t letting that go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me frantically looking up Casper to know if Reggie would be able to recognise it right away  
> I've only seen it once ok? I think it scared me as a small child which honestly says a lot about me it's a miracle I like ghosts so much as an adult. Anyway. It's from May 95 so. we're cool.  
> (also is it casper the friendly ghost or just casper and the full title was like. a cartoon or something it was based on. I don't know a single thing in the universe and I could google but I did once already and I'm lazy)  
> re: Willie calling himself queer, I'm p sure he's supposed to have been around for the reclamation of queer and since I don't know what exactly he is, gay or bi or pan or what, I reserve the right to let him use queer as an id. It's an important word to me and I will not engage with arguments on this please and thank you  
> also sorry. as always, it's gonna be fine, everything will be fine, we just gotta get there.


	6. When I Feel Lost and Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reggie just wants to relax. The world does not seem to want him to.

Reggie knocked on Julie’s door.

“I’m doing my homework,” Julie said as she opened it, though she was already standing aside to let him in. “Everything ok?”

“I just wanted to hang out,” Reggie said. Julie tilted her head, a moment of confusion crossing her face, but she smiled at him as she returned to sitting on her bed.

“Just don’t distract me,” she said.

“What are you working on?” Reggie asked. He propped his chin on her shoulder.

“Well, I’m avoiding my English paper by doing my music theory worksheet even though I definitely know this stuff and don’t need to take time on it,” Julie said. She glanced at him with a wry smile. “I don’t suppose _you_ have any thoughts about the hero’s journey?”

Reggie wrinkled his nose.

“It’s kind of overrated,” he said seriously. Julie laughed.

“Maybe I’ll use that as my thesis statement,” she said.

“So if you’re procrastinating, why did you tell me not to distract you?” Reggie asked. Julie glared at him playfully.

“I’m trying to be a little responsible,” she said. “Like. Thirty percent responsible.”

Reggie laughed.

“How do you measure that?” he said. “Is there, like, a responsibility thermometer in 2020?”

“Obviously,” Julie said. “We keep it next to the good dishes.”

There was another knock. Julie sighed fondly.

“Come on in,” she said.

“Hey, is Reggie up here?”

Luke walked through Julie’s door, and Reggie’s already still heart squeezed tight in his chest.

“Right here,” Julie said, as though this was normal. “I guess you want to hang out, too?”

“It depends,” Luke said. “Are you going to yell at me for distracting you?”

“What is going on?” Reggie choked out. Julie and Luke stared at him in alarm.

“Reggie?” Luke said. He was _young_. Just the way Reggie remembered before he died, but he was here, too, with Julie as though they knew each other. The way he and Julie had been looking at each other, like Julie looked at Reggie, and he’d walked through the _door –_

Reggie realised he was hyperventilating.

“Reggie, hey,” Julie said, her hand hovering over his tentatively. “Are you – what do you remember?” She glanced at Luke helplessly.

“What do you mean?” Reggie couldn’t stop staring at Luke. “Is that – it’s him?”

Luke looked like Reggie might as well have ripped his heart out.

“Yeah, bro, it’s me,” he said quietly. Reggie let out a sob and flung himself at Luke, clinging to him. A second later, he felt Julie rubbing his back.

“It’s ok,” Julie said. “It’s not – Luke and Alex are here, with us. We’re Julie and the Phantoms, plural.”

“Wait, so… how?”

Reggie looked between Julie and Luke, who exchanged worried looks. He had to admit, he believed that they’d known each other. But how could he remember the past few months so wrong?

Then things clicked back into place.

“Dude,” Reggie said. “I _forgot_ you. I mean, not completely, but I didn’t know –“

“Hey, you’re back?” Luke said, looking at Reggie intently. Reggie tried to smile at him.

“Yeah,” he said. “Luke, I’m so sorry…”

“Whoa, hey, don’t apologise,” Luke said. “It’s not your fault.”

“We’re just glad you’re ok,” Julie said. “What – what happened?”

Reggie tried to pinpoint the moment the world had changed on him.

“I was hanging out with Ray until he went out,” he said. “Everything was fine, and then… I don’t know, it was like I thought I was in the other timeline.”

“We should tell the others,” Julie said. “If you’re up for it?”

Reggie nodded.

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, they should know.”

Alex and Willie had been hanging out at the beach when Luke showed up, asking them to come back to the studio. He looked frantic. Alex found himself listing worst-case scenarios in his head, and he grabbed Willie’s hand just before they poofed back home, trying to ground himself.

Julie and Reggie were on the couch, cuddled up close to each other, and Luke plastered himself against Reggie’s back immediately. Alex’s sense of foreboding got worse.

“I’m here!” Flynn called, running into the studio so fast she nearly collided with Willie. Alex jumped out of the way as Willie steadied her. “What’s the emergency?” Flynn asked, patting Willie on the shoulder in an abstract sort of thank you.

“Reggie forgot this timeline today,” Julie announced.

“What?” Flynn demanded. Alex looked at Reggie, who nodded.

“It only happened to me, too,” Reggie said. “I mean, the memories? Those happened to Julie and I at the same time, but Julie remembered everything fine when I was out of it.”

“Oh, god,” Willie said softly.

“Willie?” Alex said. A hundred more terrible scenarios popped into his brain. Willie had been so weird the other night…

“I didn’t want to tell you unless I knew it would keep happening,” Willie said. “I didn’t want to scare you.”

“Well, _this_ is kind of scaring me!” Alex said, in a far higher register than he wanted to admit.

“Willie,” Julie said. “Did you forget?”

“Movie night,” Willie said. “I blinked and I wasn’t sure where I was.”

“And you just kept it from us?” Alex asked. “From me?”

Willie closed his eyes.

“Alex, I’m so sorry,” he said. “I thought… I don’t know.” He looked at Alex with pleading eyes. Alex searched for the right words. He wasn’t mad, and he wasn’t going to risk Willie thinking he was.

“I asked you to tell me when you needed help,” he said softly. “I wanted you to trust us. Trust me.”

“I do,” Willie said. “I think… I was just afraid that I’ve already dragged you into enough trouble.”

“Willie, we were already _in_ trouble,” Alex said. “And even if we weren’t, you’re worth it.”

Willie nodded, his eyes shining.

“I am sorry,” he said again.

Alex nodded, trying to figure out how he could reassure Willie. He held out his hand, and Willie took it with a grateful smile.

“Let us care about you,” Alex said to him, stepping closer. Willie flung his other arm around Alex’s neck, and Alex gladly held him close, pressing a kiss to Willie’s hair.

“I don’t wanna say we’ll make a deal because that’s got bad vibes, but we have to make a pact or something,” Flynn said gently. “We’re all telling each other when something’s going on, and yes I’m including me in that, Julie, don’t call me out like I know you want to.”

“Probably a good plan,” Willie said, lifting his head up but staying close to Alex.

“Yeah,” Alex said. “Yeah, we tell each other everything.”

“Even if it’s hard, or scary, or we’re worried about each other?” Julie said sternly.

Everyone murmured a version of “yes”.

“You too, Jules,” Flynn said. “Promise?”

“Promise, Flynn,” Julie said with that same fond exasperation she used so often on the band. Alex couldn’t help but grin.

“So we’re forgetting things but not all at once,” Reggie said. “Flynn, has anything happened to you?”

She shook her head.

“I swear, if it had I’d tell you,” she said. “Or, you know, I might have vented to Nick and then he’d tell you because I’m almost positive that boy would be a snitch if he got worried.”

“He does seem like a good dude,” Luke said. Alex tried not to laugh, knowing that Luke’s compliments about Nick were at least as much because he’d been a jerk before as they were because Nick deserved them (though he did seem to, Alex had to admit).

“Maybe it’s because I didn’t remember when things changed?” Flynn asked. “I’ve only got two versions of life, not three.”

“That makes sense,” Luke said.

“Of course it does, I’m a genius,” Flynn said. “So. We’ve at least got an idea of what’s happening? Too many timelines?”

“It’s not like we can just delete one,” Julie said.

“But maybe we can make them fit together?” Flynn said. “I mean, two of them are basically the same, right?”

“Except the night at the Orpheum,” Reggie said. “And I guess some little things afterwards.”

Alex and Luke looked at each other, remembering Reggie’s guilt over the hot dogs when they’d first died.

“Yeah,” Luke said. “Little things.”

“Hey, Flynn,” Reggie said suddenly. “Remember when we decided we needed an ice cream night when we got home from time travelling?”

Flynn grinned.

“Eating extra for you, I remember,” she said. “Sounds like a plan?”

“I’m down,” Julie said. “Maybe we’ll see if I can do that eating thing for you guys.”

“Yes!” Luke crowed, practically jumping off the couch. Reggie was wriggling in excitement. Alex tried to recall what it was like to eat ice cream, because honestly it had been twenty-five years and now he was kind of sad about that. Willie just laughed at them, one arm still wrapped around Alex, and Alex reached up to tangle his fingers in Willie’s.

“All right,” Flynn said. “Let’s do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy y'all knew this one was coming right. Right? anyway sorry  
> There's like. one more major angst chapter in here, and it's not coming anytime soon - I've explored most of the character moments I wanted to get to, though I may have more flashbacks. so it's mostly comfort and working to fix things from here on out, I swear.  
> also I've been waiting for the perfect moment to make good on Reggie and Flynn's ice cream night. It's what they deserve. Sorry I'm not actually writing it but I did want to get this chapter out sometime before tomorrow  
> (on the subject of tomorrow, it may also come late in the day because I get to be on a zoom call about jury duty! whoo. so much fun. here's hoping they don't mind if I'm eating lunch during because uh that's the only time I've got to do it)  
> Next up: Tia Victoria watches the kids. She gives surprisingly good advice given she's the only one who has no clue what's been going down lately.


	7. You Use Your Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria does not know what's happening, but that's never stopped her from helping before, and it sure won't stop her now. The legacy of the French dip ghost lingers on.

That Friday, Julie’s dad was out for the evening, shooting some event or other, and _Tía_ Victoria was enlisted to make sure Carlos and Julie ate and did their homework and were generally responsible. Julie holed up in the garage with the guys after school, unsure how to relate to her aunt when she had no idea what was going on in Julie’s life. Besides, they’d managed to secure a gig _just_ as everything went downhill again, and she and Luke were determined to do everything they could to keep the memory weirdness from souring their band’s career. Music was a safe haven; they wanted to cling to it.

“I was thinking about altering the bridge a little,” Julie said. “Just what I’m doing, here –“

Midway through the phrase, her aunt poked her head in. Julie stopped playing immediately, grateful her aunt hadn’t entered when the whole band was practicing.

“Julie, it’s time to eat,” she said. “Come on.”

“Uh…” Julie glanced around at the guys. Reggie shrugged at her ruefully. Luke was pouting. Alex and Willie were both watching _Tía_ Victoria with varying levels of wariness.

“No arguments,” her aunt said. “Your band isn’t on Skype or anything, right?”

Julie should really start keeping her laptop open or something.

“No,” she said with a queasy smile. “It’s just me out here!”

“Rude,” Reggie muttered.

“You know she has to say that, right?” Alex said.

“I _know!”_ Reggie hissed defensively in the way that meant he did know, but he’d thought of it after he said something. Julie tried not to smile.

“I’ll be right in, _tía,”_ she said. “Just let me put my music away.”

“Good. Don’t be long, or it’ll get cold.” She bustled out again. Julie turned to the band and Willie with an apologetic smile.

“You guys can come hang out if you like,” she offered. “But you know she doesn’t know about you, and I _really_ don’t want to fake another of Carlos’s ghost banishments.”

“Yeah, there’s only so many recipes for French dip out there,” Alex said.

“Do I… want to know?” Willie asked.

“Oh, dude, so Carlos found this box of old stuff, right? And it had our CD in it, that’s how he figured out about us, but on top of the CD was this recipe for a sandwich, and he found out there was a chef who lived in the house way before anybody we know –“

“I’m just gonna go,” Julie said. “Before _Tía_ Victoria wants to know where I am. You guys can… come when Reggie’s done filling Willie in?”

“Oh, we can walk and talk,” Reggie said eagerly. Julie laughed fondly.

“Right,” she said. “Anyway. _Don’t_ distract me during dinner. You know how bad I am at covering for you.”

“Lie voice,” Luke teased, smirking. Julie rolled her eyes and closed the studio door before the ghosts had the chance to walk through.

Alex looked unimpressed when he walked through.

“They’re going to whine about that, you know,” he said.

“They can handle it,” Julie said as the rest of the ghosts followed her. She tried not to feel like she was leading a row of ghostly ducklings as she made her way back to the house for dinner. Reggie was still explaining the French dip ghost to Willie.

“Just in time!” _Tía_ Victoria said pointedly as Julie sat down. Julie smiled as her aunt kissed the top of her head before sitting down. Julie was glad to duck her head during grace; that way she didn’t have to watch the boys whispering at and shoving each other as they tried to find the ideal places to sit so they felt included.

“I hear you’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio lately,” Julie’s aunt said as they started to dish up their food.

“Yeah, I mean, we’re preparing for a show, and sometimes with the WiFi and the time zones, it’s kind of hard to schedule so we just have to… wait for our moment!”

The only person in the room who didn’t seem appalled by Julie’s cover was _Tía_ Victoria, who thankfully was the only one she needed to convince. Her aunt eyed her sternly.

“I’m so proud of you, _mija_ ,” she said. “You know that, right?”

“Of course,” Julie said, startled by the apparent shift in topic.

“I’m so glad you’ve started this band, and you’re getting to play shows – you’ve come alive again, Julie, and we’re all thrilled to see it.”

Julie looked to Carlos for help. By the look on his face, he could sense there was a “but” coming, too.

“Hey, _tía_ , did I tell you about that test I took?” Carlos said. Julie wasn’t sure why he thought that would work on their aunt when it hadn’t even worked on their dad.

“I’d love to hear about it, Carlos, but I need to talk to Julie about this,” their aunt said. Carlos shrugged at Julie. Julie had to admit she was looking forward to hearing what he said to her when Julie’s talk was over, since as far as Julie knew Carlos hadn’t had a test in a while.

“Julie, I’m just a little worried about you,” her aunt said.

“Maybe we should not be here for this,” Alex said. Julie sent him a quick glare. Whatever her aunt’s issue was, she was _not_ going to be left alone with only Carlos for back-up.

“Don’t worry, Julie, we can always bail you out,” Reggie said.

“Pretty sure that’s exactly what she doesn’t want to happen,” Alex said.

Julie was, as ever, very grateful for Alex.

“Julie, are you all right?”

Carlos was snickering. Julie looked at her aunt with a wide smile.

“Fine! I was just… wondering. What you could be worried about! Because I’m fine.”

“I just… I’m glad you’re feeling better, well enough to play again,” her aunt said. “But I’m worried that you’re trying to spend your time in the past. That studio, where you and your mom always wrote – Flynn told me you’ve made a new friend, that boy who had the health scare, but your dad said he’s never come over. I’m worried you might be trying to… cling a little too hard to how things used to be. You can’t live in the past, _sobrina_. No matter how much you want to.”

“Believe me, I know,” Julie said. She looked over at her ghostly friends, huddled together just behind _Tía_ Victoria. Luke met her gaze with a crease between his eyebrows. “I know. Time keeps going. And I know, you’re always telling us we need to move on, and I’m trying –“

“Do you know what I mean when I say it?”

Julie stared at her.

“I don’t mean forget her,” her aunt said gently. “And I’m so sorry if you’ve ever thought that I did. But you have to accept that things are different. It’s like two different worlds living in your head, and you have to let them live together, and always keep track of the one you’re in.”

Julie’s mouth hung open slightly as she stared at her aunt in awe.

Flynn had only had the two timelines, and the second one had asserted itself over the first one easily. Was it that simple? Did Julie, Willie, and Reggie just need to hang on to the timeline they were in now?

“You’re a genius,” Julie said with feeling.

Everyone stared at her.

“Thank you?” _Tía_ Victoria said, bemused.

“Uhhh, Carlos!” Julie said, not eager to explain what her epiphany had been about. “Tell _Tía_ Victoria about that test!”

Carlos glowered at her for her blatant betrayal.

“It was a math test!” he said hastily.

“I’m gonna get some water, does anybody else want some? I’ll just… be right back,” Julie said abruptly, fleeing the room before her family could object.

“What was that about?” Willie asked as he followed her. It didn’t take long before the kitchen was full of ghosts. Julie was starting to think maybe letting them trail behind her all the time was a bad idea. It was like she was giving puppies a case of separation anxiety by never leaving them to their own devices.

“What she said,” Julie said. “It’s literally what we’re dealing with! Flynn remembers things fine because she remembers the timeline we’re in now!”

“Wait, you want –“ Luke cut himself off, glancing at Reggie, then down at his feet. Julie’s excitement waned.

“I forgot,” she said.

“Me, too,” Reggie offered. “And that’s part of the problem, right?”

He laughed, but nobody else thought it was funny. There was a moment of silence, heavy with the knowledge that the current timeline wasn’t quite their happiest version.

“I’d rather remember bringing you guys the street dogs than keep forgetting things,” Reggie said finally. “What if Willie forgets again? What if _Julie_ does?”

“Low blow, dude,” Alex said quietly, though neither he nor Luke seemed willing to truly argue.

“It’s my memory we’re all worried about, right?” Reggie said, looking around. “That’s the big change? I say it’s fine. We’ll still remember the way things started, so I’ll know. I’ll know it’s not my fault.”

“Reggie,” Julie murmured, flinging herself at him in a hug. Even surprised as he was, he hugged back almost immediately, only letting go to let Luke in.

“You’re so lucky I volunteered to come get you,” Carlos announced smugly from the kitchen doorway. “Having a good time with your ghost boyfriend?”

Julie debated the wisdom of answering back “which one?” It would have the benefit of shocking Carlos, but also she didn’t quite trust him not to mention it to their dad, and she wasn’t entirely sure how he’d take the idea that she was living with not one, but two boys that she liked and only she could see. Not like it would be a problem, ever, if she had her way, but dads tended to be weird like that.

“All right, I’m coming back,” Julie said.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Carlos asked, hands on his hips, as Julie tried to step around him.

“No?”

“Your water?” Carlos prompted. Julie hastily got herself a glass of water, nearly spilling it all over her shirt as she wove through the little mob of ghosts.

“You’re so weird,” Carlos said as he finally let her out of the kitchen.

“Ok, after the French dip ghost thing, does he really get to say that?” Willie asked Alex. Julie was grateful for one alliance in the ongoing sibling rivalry. Not that she and Carlos had a big one, and they usually just called a truce, but it was the principle of the thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the jury duty saga has ended. now I have no excuse if I get things out late in the day but my own tired, easily distracted brain.  
> Anyway, have a little bit of peace and a lot of discussion of the French dip ghost. God it would be wild if that was an actual ghost who just. Never approached the boys because the sheer chaotic energy was too much for him. Maybe I'll put that on my list of fics for whenever I'm done here.  
> Also if you caught a hint of ace Julie, yeah, you're right, because she is ace. I claim her as one of my own. It's the purple. (more on that later I swear they're just too busy to do many more coming outs right now)  
> Next up: Carlos finally drags out the full truth and also offers Julie some useful advice. Molina family just really doing the most out here.


	8. Look Inside of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos gives Julie some advice, though mostly he just wants to see some cool magic. A plan is finally made.

“So what’s really going on?” Carlos asked Julie that night. Their dad had returned, and was talking to _Tía_ Victoria in the hall, so it was just them and Julie’s ever-present dead entourage.

“We’re just… trying to figure some stuff out,” Julie said.

“That’s the kind of thing you say when you know I would catch any lie you give me,” Carlos said. “I’m a ghost hunter, Julie! I can handle it!”

“And… how many ghosts have you successfully hunted?”

“He did figure us out,” Reggie said fairly.

“Yeah, but he wasn’t exactly _hunting_ for us when he did,” Alex said.

“Guys,” Julie hissed quietly. Luke nudged their bandmates, and Julie sent him a quick, grateful smile.

“I told you how we went… back in time,” Julie said slowly. She’d left out the whole “saw the guys die” thing, and what exactly had happened with Caleb and Ava to lead up to it, but Carlos at least knew the basics of what had been going on, and he’d known it before Julie had been able to admit it to her dad. “I guess there’s side effects? There’s just… different versions of the world in our heads.”

“So that’s why you told _Tía_ Victoria she was a genius,” Carlos said. “It was kind of a weird thing to say.”

“I know,” Julie said, exasperated. “Are you going to tell me what you want now?”

“I’ve given up on asking for a normal sister, but maybe one who isn’t so weird I have to save her butt all the time,” Carlos said.

“Language,” Reggie said. Julie willed herself not to respond.

“Ok,” she said. “Thank you, you’ve checked up on me…”

“So how are you going to fix your memories?” Carlos said. “Also, I heard some of what you were saying.”

“Carlos!”

“What? You were taking a long time and I wondered why. Do you actually know how to do… whatever it is?”

“No,” Julie admitted.

“Do you think that magic stuff would help?” Carlos asked. “Because if you’re going to finally start learning how to use it, I wanna watch.”

Julie gaped at him.

“I hate that you just gave me a good idea,” she said finally.

“What can I say? I’m amazing,” Carlos said. “So you’re going to tell me when you start trying to do this stuff, right?”

“We’ll see,” Julie said. “Annoy me too much and I’ll make sure I do all of it when you’re still at school.”

 _“Julie, so I found this coffee shop where Carlos’s laptop says a lot of music people go to see shows, and I_ may _have signed us up, because that kind of thing always worked for Luke? But then I realised I didn’t actually ask if you were free, because I know your dad and your aunt are really big on homework –“_

_“So let’s go ask my dad if it’s all right,” Julie said slowly, before Reggie could really get going. “At least I think I did well on my test today. Maybe that’ll help.”_

_Her dad nodded along as Julie awkwardly explained that she’d been signed up for a show, carefully sidestepping the question of who’d done the signing, and that she needed to be out that night even though it was a school night._

_“This is the person who helped you get back into the music program?” he said._

_“Yes! Uh… he’s a hologram. Or, I mean,_ he’s _not, but his image is. He lives in Sweden.” Julie closed her mouth before it could get worse._

_“You two have something prepared already?”_

_“Yeah, we’ve… been working together a lot,” Julie said. “He lost some people, too.”_

_She hadn’t meant to say that. She hoped Reggie wouldn’t mind._

_Her dad looked sympathetic._

_“I’m glad you two have each other,” he said. “Tell him I’d like to meet him someday – or, I guess Skype or whatever you kids use now.”_

_“He’s… kind of private,” Julie said, which was possibly the most blatant lie she could have told about Reggie. “But if we can manage it, I’m sure he’d love to.”_

“Julie?”

Julie was back with Carlos. She glanced over at Reggie, who looked just as disoriented.

“Willie?” she asked. “Did you…”

“Yeah, that was definitely…” Willie swallowed. “I had one of those flashes.”

“So we know we’re all getting them,” Julie said.

“Wait, did you have one of those memory things just now?” Carlos seemed far too excited about this. Julie looked at the boys for help before remembering that Carlos couldn’t interact with any of them.

“Yes, and I’d really rather not talk about it.”

“So you’re going to try the magic soon, right?”

“Carlos,” Julie sighed. “We’ll try something alone, because last time I threw somebody across a room with it, and then when I’m sure I won’t toss you around or something you can come watch. If I’m just messing around in my own head, it’ll probably be really boring.”

“Julie, you can do magic,” Carlos said, as though this was a good rebuttal to everything she’d said. Julie rolled her eyes fondly.

“Pretty sure it’s time for you to go to bed,” Julie said as their dad came in. He raised his eyebrows at her, and they climbed higher when Carlos barely grumbled on his way up the stairs.

“Whenever you’re _this_ responsible, I start to get worried,” he said. “What were you two talking about that you don’t want me to hear?”

“We’re just… trying to figure things out,” Julie said. “We might have an idea.”

Her dad’s shoulders slumped in relief.

“Good,” he said. “It’s not dangerous, is it?”

“We don’t think so,” Julie said. “We’re going to see if… you know. My _talents_ can help.”

“Good,” her dad said again. “Keep me updated, all right? I want to make sure you’re all right. All of you.”

Julie hugged him.

“Thanks, dad,” she said quietly.

“I know you don’t want to hear this, with everything else going on, but you should go study,” her dad said. “Finish your homework. Ok?”

Julie nodded and started up the stairs. When her dad wasn’t looking, she sent a beseeching glance at the guys, jerking her head for them to follow her. There had been too much that night for her to process alone.

“Do you think it’ll work?” Julie asked Willie as soon as she closed her door behind them. “I mean, the magic. You know a little about it, right?”

Willie shrugged.

“I saw him use it, but it’s not like he ever gave classes,” he said. “He taught us a few tricks, that thing with the police I showed you guys, but nothing big. If Caleb could do something like what we’re thinking, he wouldn’t have mentioned it to me.”

“Could it be possible?” Alex asked.

“At this point, I think anything is,” Willie said. “I’ve time travelled now, remember?”

“And yet you still _don’t_ know everything about magic? Willie, I’m ashamed of you,” Julie teased, sitting on her bed. She looked around at her ghosts, nerves resurfacing.

“You’re all ok with trying to do this? With me… I don’t even know what I’ll be doing, but it’ll be in your heads,” she said to Willie and Reggie.

“I trust you,” Reggie said.

“Yeah, I think if somebody’s got to be in my head who isn’t me, you’re one of the better options,” Willie said. Julie tensed, and he smiled at her gently.

“It’s ok, Julie,” he said. “I trust you, too.”

Julie looked at Alex and Luke.

“Promise me you guys won’t be weird about this?” she said. “Even if something happens?”

“Like Reggie said,” Alex pointed out. “It’s better than being forgotten.”

“Yeah,” Luke said, sitting beside Julie. “Yeah, and it’s your memories. We’ll do whatever you need. It’d be worse if you forgot us, right? I mean, that’s half the band right there.”

Julie laughed.

“You’re so lucky you’re cute, and that we _know_ you,” she said. “That’s such a terrible thing to say to your girlfriend.”

“And the lead singer in the band,” Luke said, clearly not sure what she was getting at. Alex snorted.

“I know,” Julie said, taking pity on him. The band was his heart. She knew what he meant when he talked about losing half of it. “And I really should do my homework. If you guys want to stay, you can’t distract me.” She reached for her bag, then looked up.

“We’ll try it tomorrow?” she asked timidly. She needed to commit to something, otherwise she’d never be brave enough to try.

“Yeah,” Reggie said. “Tomorrow works.”

“I’ll clear my schedule,” Willie joked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ghost powers! ghost powers!  
> Do you ever just think about the fact that Carlos got scolded for saying butt? Vast differences in parenting, I said butt a lot as a child. Anyway, Reggie has taken to scolding Carlos for his language if Ray isn't there because. He is a good kid. This is my new favourite headcanon, to tie with all my other favourite headcanons.  
> Next up: Julie, Willie, and Reggie aren't the only ones not quite living in the now, and there's a reason there's been no evidence of new time travel yet. Also, Julie has a minor crisis and a heart-to-heart.


	9. Not a Minute to Waste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb and Ava discover another flaw in their plans. Julie needs a moment.

Caleb and Ava had been holed up in his club for over a week, but nothing had changed. Ava’s Instrument, as she insisted he call it, still sat stubbornly still and silent in her hands. The most it ever did was roll away when Caleb came too close.

He was ready to give up on the whole endeavour. Clearly, whatever power Ava had over her little toy was gone, and its tantrum wasn’t going to wind down any time soon. The trouble was, Ava was one of the only allies he had left. True, he maintained a level of control over his club members, and not all of them were terribly pleased with William and Julie for leaving them behind. None of that made Caleb any more popular, though. What little he’d managed to get his people to do for him was hardly enough for him to risk cutting ties with Ava once more.

His patience was sorely tested when Ava dropped her Instrument on the ground, staring blankly into space, midway through another of their attempts at fixing it.

“What are you doing?” he snapped. Ava didn’t answer. Caleb rolled his eyes, glaring down at the Instrument.

“I suppose _this_ is your fault, too?” he asked it. It sat there smugly, taunting him with its impassive surface. Caleb dreamed of kicking the thing like a soccer ball out a window. He’d never been one for athletics, but for this he’d make an exception.

“Caleb!” Ava snapped.

“Oh, finally going to acknowledge my presence?” he said sourly. Ava shoved him away and picked up her Instrument, cradling it gently against her chest. Caleb’s violent daydreams gained a victim.

“If it’s even more broken, I should point out it’s hardly my fault you _dropped_ it,” he said.

“It’s malfunctioning,” Ava said.

“I thought we’d established that?”

“No, it’s really… the timelines are misaligned. Somebody is clinging to false events, and they’re doing it so strongly the Instrument can’t let it go.”

“Julie,” Caleb said. “So tell your little toy –“

“Instrument,” Ava said, almost absentmindedly.

“Instrument, whatever, tell it that if we do this, Julie won’t be a problem anymore, for any of us!”

“It can’t! So long as the pasts are inconsistent, it can’t do that.”

Caleb pinched his nose.

“What makes this different from when you changed things? They remembered everything then.”

“The brain can handle a single overlay,” Ava said. “No more. That’s the first change. Most people, I don’t let time travel, I just go to the past and keep myself from interfering, thus preventing the overlay.”

“So this is your fault?” Caleb said. “Because you just _had_ to show off to some kids.”

“That’s hilarious, coming from you, you glitter-coated weasel,” Ava snapped back. “I wanted to see what they did, if they changed their minds when they were there. It wasn’t supposed to be enough of a change for anybody to cling to.”

“Then they all went, and spent time in 1995,” Caleb said slowly.

“Yes,” Ava said. “Julie spoke with the band. _You_ decided to play god with Reggie and those street dogs. It even wrought a bit of havoc on how Julie’s mother and Trevor Wilson related to each other, not that I expect the children to have noticed yet.”

“How do we fix it?” Caleb asked.

Ava eyed him.

“I’m working on it,” she said.

“Ava, we’re in this together,” Caleb snapped. “Not that I enjoy relying on you, but we each have something the other needs, and you need to make good on your promises!”

“I have, and I am,” Ava said. “I happen to hold the power in this relationship, Caleb, and all you have is the magic I lack. Don’t test me, or I really will turn to Julie instead. I’m sure she’d be _happy_ to help me in exchange for the details about her poor, muddled memories.”

“You’re a terrible con artist,” Caleb said. “You’d give away your plans in five seconds.”

“Then don’t waste my time,” Ava said. “I’m not telling you the details. Back off.”

“Am I supposed to wait while you get your house in order?” Caleb demanded.

“No.” Ava thrust the ball into his hands. It shook violently for a second, but a brusque tap to its surface from Ava calmed it down. Caleb stared at her.

“We’re trying again,” Ava said. “This time, try what you did to the boys, the night they played the Orpheum with Julie.”

Caleb watched her warily. He had no idea how to control a soul that didn’t exist – the Instrument was likely sentient, but it didn’t _feel_ like a ghost or a lifer to his senses – but playing along with Ava was likely his best chance at figuring out what she was keeping from him. He channelled his power without another word.

The Instrument slipped from his hands like a bar of soap, and Ava let loose a flurry of curses that had Caleb raising his eyebrows, impressed.

“I take it your plan hasn’t worked yet?” he drawled. Ava ignored him, though the scowl on her face told him he’d certainly hit a nerve.

Julie stared at Reggie. He stared back expectantly. From behind Alex’s drums, as though they were a bunker to protect the ghosts from a blast, Alex, Luke, and Willie watched them intently.

“So… are you doing anything yet?” Carlos asked. Flynn, standing next to him by the piano, smacked him lightly on the shoulder.

“Give me a second,” Julie said. Reggie smiled at her encouragingly.

“You got this,” Luke said, not quite stepping out from behind the drums. Julie smiled, then let the smile drop as she tried to concentrate.

“Maybe if I hold your hand?” she said after a few seconds.

“Julie, if you want to hold my hand you can just ask,” Reggie said.

“I did,” Julie said. “Now I’m kind of regretting it.”

He snatched her hand up before she could pull it away. Julie laughed and squeezed his hand.

Before, with Caleb, it had been a feeling of need. She’d needed him away from her boys, away from her family and friends and anybody he wanted to hurt. She’d needed _space_ , and her magic had granted that wish quite literally.

So what did Julie need now?

She needed the memory flashes to stop. She needed them to know where they were, who Luke and Alex were, who everybody was to each other. She needed her _family_.

“Julie?”

Julie clamped down on the thoughts running amok in her mind, and timidly met Reggie’s eyes. He looked worried, but he nodded encouragingly. Reggie was worried for _her_.

Ok. Step one. She needed Reggie here with her.

Julie closed her eyes, trying to imagine a little bit of that light from before snaking its way down her arm, from her heart to her fingers where they were wrapped around Reggie’s hand. She could feel Reggie where his hand met hers; she let herself think that she could feel more than that. Through the veins in his hands, up past his heart to the place where his pulse moved in his throat and even farther.

_Somebody was shouting, ignorant to the hand tugging at their sleeve, wanting to ask a question, and then a faded facsimile of Julie threw a blanket over the scene and sat on top of it. A version of Luke joined her, and they kissed, and then the song Julie and Reggie had been working on in stolen moments faded in and out, looping just the bridge a few times before it transitioned to a cheesy Christmas song Julie hadn’t heard since kindergarten. The shouting came back. A scene from what looked like a mid-nineties action movie played in the background, lightsabre noises sounding when the swords hit together._

_Julie was holding three hot dogs, hurrying toward Luke and Alex, and she was excited because it was one more moment for the band to share together-_

Julie tore herself away, scrambling off the couch and out into the late afternoon sunlight.

“Julie?”

Flynn, Luke, Reggie, Carlos, Alex, even Willie – everyone’s voices were overlapping with concern as they called after her. Reggie reached her first, having been closest when she ran, and he tugged at her shoulder gently.

“Please, just… just give me a minute,” Julie begged him. She looked past him at the rest of her friends, unsure how to express what she was feeling. “Flynn, just… five minutes?”

It had been a while since Julie had needed Flynn to run interference like this, and she’d never needed it with her ghosts before, but Julie needed _out_. There was too much weight.

“Five minutes,” Flynn said, tugging Reggie back. “Then we come after you.”

“Thank you,” Julie said, charging up the stairs so she could be well away from their well-meaning faces.

On the porch, she started to pace.

She had seen way too much in Reggie’s head, bits and pieces of his speed-of-light thought process that broke his already fragile happy-go-lucky façade. Julie already knew her boys, from all they had been willing to show her, and that was enough. She didn’t want to go poking around inside their heads!

And that last image – it was what she’d been looking for, true. But she hadn’t been remotely prepared to _live_ it.

“Mom, what do I do?” Julie whispered. She stopped pacing, holding herself tightly around the middle. It was no hug, but the only people who could do that for her were the people she’d just run from. “I’m just _me!_ This shouldn’t be my job, I shouldn’t have to dig through my friends’ heads – my _boyfriend’s_ head – just to make sure I don’t lose them!”

That wasn’t even true, Julie remembered.

There was a real chance they’d lose _her_.

“I don’t want to leave Luke and Alex alone,” Julie said. “But the things I saw in Reggie’s head, they’re too private. And Willie? He’s already the most private person I know. I _know_ there’s stuff he wants kept quiet. And I…” Julie took a deep breath. She was spiralling.

“How much of this did you know was coming?” she asked the sky, leaning against the railing. “I’m sure you didn’t know the guys would meet Willie, or that we’d pick a fight with Caleb, and I’ll bet you didn’t know about Ava, but… Did you know what I could do? Did you want me to find out?”

Julie thought about the Sunset Curve shirt that had just appeared in her mom’s things.

“Did you have this, too?” she asked. “Is that why?”

Julie hung her head. She could hear Flynn and Luke talking – probably the two who’d been elected to come after her now that her time was up. She was surprised any of the others had stayed behind.

“It’s like everything I know about me _feels_ different,” she said. “Like, I know I’m the same, but so much looks strange now when I look back. How much of my life is me? How much is this magic?”

“Pretty sure it’s all you,” Luke said, startling her. She hadn’t realised her friends had come so close. “Magic included.”

“Kind of hard to tell,” Julie said. Even as she said it, she could sense Flynn’s friend defence mode activating.

“Do _not_ even go there,” Flynn said. Luke joined Julie at the railing, leaning back to watch Flynn with a pleased smile on his face.

“Jules, look at me,” Flynn said. Julie sighed and turned. “Ok, Julie, listen – yes. This probably has always been inside you, because you’re awesome and we know that. That means it’s like your killer singing voice, or your sense of style, or your really _terrible_ lying skills. It’s like you being bi.”

Julie bit back the joke she was itching to make, because coming out about something she’d only been toying with at a time like this was a bad idea, probably. She _was_ bi, and that much she knew, and Flynn was right.

“You’re just Julie,” Flynn said. She rubbed Julie’s shoulder. “Weird, and musical, and amazing, and yeah, you’ve got magic powers. I don’t know if your mom knew, but I do know that everything you’ve done was because you did it. Magic can’t do things for you. You made it happen.”

“Yeah, like, I’d say your singing is pretty magical,” Luke added. “That doesn’t make it less real.”

Julie let him pull her into a one-armed hug.

“I’m surprised the others stayed behind,” she said, voicing the thought aloud tentatively.

“We were trying to give you space!” Reggie called from just behind some bushes. To Julie’s amusement, she saw Carlos rustling in the same bushes.

“Dude!” Alex said. Willie cackled as he poofed over to them.

“You can come out, Carlos, she knows you’re there!” Flynn called, rolling her eyes at Julie. Julie laughed.

“You feeling ready to try again, Julie?” Willie asked her.

“Maybe,” Julie said. “Look, when I was in Reggie’s head I saw some things that were… really personal. Kind of weird and abstract, because it’s Reggie and that’s apparently how he thinks, but personal.”

“Thank you,” Reggie said. At everyone’s puzzled glances, he said, “Abstract art is cool!”

“So you’re both really ok with this?” Julie checked.

“We already said yes,” Willie said. He glanced at Reggie. “I mean, you make your choice, man, but I figured there was a chance something like that could happen. It’s worth it.”

“Yeah,” Reggie said. “We picked this world a long time ago, Julie, with the whole band together. It’s ok.”

Julie nodded.

“Are you ok with it?” Alex asked her.

Julie met his eyes. He was bouncing on his toes slightly, hands in his pockets like the fabric was all that was keeping him from reaching out to her. Not a usual position for Alex, but she’d seen it before, and she knew it meant he was worried for her.

She knew these boys so well. She didn’t want to lose that feeling.

“Yeah,” she said. “I can do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, using writing sprints on a discord server to get this done: yeah, then Julie sees the new, bonus angst version of the Orpheum  
> the response: entirely caps and keysmashes  
> anyway this is. Your Julie angst for the day. It is my gift to the world  
> In all seriousness, there's a lot she's dealing with and the magic raises some questions she hasn't had the chance to ask. Also, and you will see why tomorrow, I needed her to talk to her mom. For emotions and for plot.  
> Next up: lots of people heard Julie talk to her mom that day. Julie and Reggie do take two of memory lane.


	10. The Scene in Reverse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb and Ava find out the last thing they needed, and now it's just a matter of making the Instrument work. Julie and Reggie try again.

“Fuego!” Caleb called when the ghost entered. He was grateful for the distraction, as Ava had taken to chasing random members of his club with her Instrument, trying to get them to hold it. “Any news?”

Fuego looked mutinous.

“News of what?” Genevieve asked folding her arms. She looked at Fuego sternly. “What has he been having you do?”

“Nothing,” Fuego muttered. Caleb quickly hid his smile when Genevieve turned her glare back to him.

“We’re not _yours_ to play with anymore, Caleb,” she warned him. “Remember that.”

“Oh, I will,” Caleb said as she walked away. “Even when you’ve forgotten.” He jerked his head at Fuego, wanting him to come away from the ballroom before they were overheard. Ava followed, murmuring to her Instrument in that same obnoxious voice.

“You _do_ have something for me, don’t you?” Caleb said. Fuego glowered at his shoes.

“Fuego, you don’t owe Julie anything,” Caleb said. “She left you here. William abandoned all of you to my oh-so-tender mercies, and for what? A new boy toy? Remember, I can give you freedom without a fight. Just tell me what you found out.”

“Her mom brought the band to her,” Fuego muttered. Ava jerked her head up from her inspection of the Instrument. Caleb clapped his hands together.

“Her mother?” he said. “She’s a witch, too?”

“She’s dead, from what I can tell,” Fuego said. “Maybe a witch.”

“So _she_ did the binding,” Ava said in a hushed tone. “She could, couldn’t she, Caleb? Because Julie is her own blood?”

“Yes, it’s possible,” Caleb murmured. “And her mother didn’t do a thing with those three until after her death?”

“She died over a year ago,” Fuego said. “Sunset Curve only returned to this world a few months back.”

“Perfect,” Caleb said. “She died, Ava. Isn’t that just _so_ sad?”

Ava smiled.

“We really should get into the heroics business, Caleb,” Ava said. “Saving people. It could prove lucrative.”

“You won’t hurt any of them?” Fuego asked. “I mean…”

“Yes, your conflicted morality doesn’t have to suffer over this,” Caleb said, already bored with him. “We’re doing Julie a favour, really.”

“Do you know how she died?” Ava asked.

Fuego shook his head nervously.

“If it’s an illness that will be tricky,” Ava said. “Not something you can do on your own, with that compulsion precious Julie left on you.”

Caleb sneered at her.

“We’ll manage,” he said. “So long as you keep your end.”

“Oh, I will,” Ava said. “I have a few tricks to try.”

Julie and Reggie sat down on the couch once more. The others assumed their previous positions as well, watching the two of them closely. With a nervous smile, Julie took Reggie’s hand again.

Reggie’s trains of thought still flashed by rapidly, jumping from idea to idea with connections Julie could only guess at, but there was an eye to the storm. She was reluctant to look around too much, still afraid of finding out something Reggie would rather keep buried, but she had to find the alternate memories.

_Whoa, Julie! Is that you? Is my brain doing a new weird thing instead of the normal weird things?_

It wasn’t like Reggie had come up behind her. She just… knew what he was thinking. Julie valiantly pretended there was nothing weird about this at all.

“Hi,” she said awkwardly.

A witch from a tv show Julie and Carlos had shown the guys ran past.

_Sorry. Trying to stay focused, but I’m definitely thinking about witches._

Considering what they were up to, Julie thought that was fair. In any case, she appreciated the effort.

She took a step forward, searching the scenes in front of her. Fantasy movie witches became the chairs on the studio ceiling, became a dark room and the sound of crying, became Julie at the Orpheum in 1995.

“There!” Julie said. The thought had flashed past already, showing Julie a split second of… her mom? But Reggie’s mind looped back around to the sound check.

Two versions of that night played, the one Julie had been told about stronger and more solid than the one she’d been there for.

_Do I just… think about it?_

Julie adored Reggie, but she wasn’t sure they should hinge this entire project on his ability to keep one thought in his mind without letting it splinter off into ten other concepts. She reached out to the closest image of him, the one waiting alone for a street dog.

“Whoa,” he said when she grabbed his hand. He stared at her, looking confused and delighted.

“This is super weird,” Reggie said. “Also, you’re really good at this.”

Julie couldn’t help but laugh. Trust Reggie to compliment her when she was about to make him relive trauma he technically didn’t have.

“Show me what happened?” she asked gently.

“Well, Caleb – wait, no, that’s not when things changed,” Reggie said, and the scene shuddered back to earlier, inside the Orpheum. “You saw. Luke and Alex talked to you. I went to talk to Bobby.”

Julie followed as he bounded over to the bar.

“Hey, Bobby, are you –“ Reggie broke off and suddenly Julie was onstage with Sunset Curve.

“This was when things changed, actually,” Reggie said. “Look.”

Luke had one arm wrapped around Bobby’s shoulders, and he was looking out into the near-empty room with a quizzical expression.

“Dude, I think that girl is crying,” he said.

“Yeah, I bet your singing did it to her,” Bobby said playfully, nudging Luke.

“Should we go check on her? Do you think she’s a fan?” Alex asked.

“A fan who snuck in to cry?” Bobby asked.

“We should go talk to her,” Alex decided.

“Dude! She’s crying!” Luke looked back at her – at _Julie_ , the Julie watching realised. “But she did hear us play. Maybe we just made her emotional? Boys! What if we _did_ make her cry?”

Reggie was smiling at Luke like he could watch him forever. Julie brushed the back of her hand against his, but he was lost in the memory and didn’t notice.

“Yeah, let’s go talk to her,” Luke said. “I bet she likes music.”

“That’s not – ok.” Alex shook his head.

“Then we get food, right?” Reggie called after them.

“Of course!” Luke said. “Man, I’m starving. Don’t let me forget!”

“Now I went to the bar with Bobby,” Reggie told Julie, his eyes still trained on Luke.

That same strange certainty Julie had felt when dealing with Caleb returned.

“That’s ok,” Julie said, catching at Reggie’s sleeve. “This was what I needed.”

“Yeah?” he said.

“Yeah,” she said. She looked up at him, trying to find something that she could say to reassure them both.

Reggie grinned at her, thumbing a few strands of hair back from her face and kissing her forehead.

“You can do this,” he said softly. Julie yanked him into a hug, one last moment of comfort before she made him remember something awful. Then she thought about the scene she’d just witnessed, Luke seeing her from across the room and Alex suggesting they check on her and Reggie, a boy she _had_ to know as her Reggie, just watching the boy he had a crush on with a smile on his face.

That was real. Even the parts that came after. Julie reached out to Reggie’s mind, nudging him further along, like a movie on fast forward. She almost faltered when he joined Bobby, because she could have _sworn_ she saw her mom, but the memory went by too fast, and she had bigger things to do than chase half-remembered images in somebody else’s head.

Ok, that was technically all she had to do, but she was prioritising the images!

Julie dragged her mind into the moment as they slid to a stop, and Reggie was suddenly passing out street dogs.

“Reggie,” she said. He paused, and the memory paused with him.

“You know you have to live with this, right? That this has to be what we remember.”

Reggie nodded. The world adjusted, like Julie had just put on her reading glasses and looked at her homework for the first time.

“Yeah, I know,” he said. “Come on, Luke’s waiting for us.”

Julie smiled, Reggie turned back to hand his bandmates their last dinner, and she slipped from his mind at last.

“Reggie?” Luke called.

Reggie realised he was leaning back off the side of the couch, and he blinked groggily as Luke and Julie helped him sit up. His other friends were further away, staring at him, with the exception of Carlos who was staring at Julie since she was the only one he could see.

“Did it work?” Alex asked, coming closer to look Reggie over.

When they’d died, Reggie had spent most of the twenty-five years in limbo freaking out, sure that he’d made a mistake and gotten them all sent to hell because of it. When they met Julie, Reggie had been nearly silent at first, reluctant to make a new friend when he’d just gotten the last one killed.

That voice, though… It was hard not to open up to Julie, especially after he heard her sing.

“Yeah, it worked,” Reggie said finally. He knew what had happened originally, as though he’d heard it secondhand. The past few months came back to him, with a new layer of self-doubt over most of it.

“How are you feeling?” Julie asked timidly. He looked up at her and Luke, standing with their sides pressed close together, hands clutching at each other.

The new memories hadn’t touched his relationship with them at all. He still had them, and Reggie was willing to believe he always would.

“I’m ok,” he said. “It feels weird, but… like it’s always been this way.”

Luke hugged him. Julie and Alex joined a second later, and soon there was a whole pile of ghost (and Julie and Flynn) hugging half-off the couch.

“So… should I just wait for whatever this is to be done?” Carlos asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I went for the cuteness in this scene and not the heart ripping, for the most part. For extra humour read the bit where Alex is like "is she ok" and then immediately go back to Phantom Singular and read Luke pretending that the conversation was all his idea. I love them.  
> Also Caleb and Ava know! that Julie's mom is why she met the boys! what could they possibly want from that, I wonder.  
> Two thirds done! Coming tomorrow, Julie works with Willie. Alex is totally fine and not freaking out.


	11. And You're a Part of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willie's turn for magic Julie timeline therapy! Alex is fine.

In some ways, it was easier to work with Willie. Julie had experience now, and he didn’t have the same rapidly shifting thought process Reggie did. Still, Julie was aware that she didn’t belong there, in a way she hadn’t been with Reggie. She assumed it was a matter of how long they’d known each other.

Willie’s mind gave her impressions of Caleb’s club, the studio, the streets of Hollywood – in one corner, his first meeting with Alex played over and over like a mantra. Julie smiled at that.

“Show me what changed,” she said to Willie. “When did you meet Alex in _this_ timeline?”

The scene shuddered a little, but the same loop played. Julie reached out to Willie, and he glanced away from the image of Alex for the first time.

“So what changed?” she asked him. He glanced back at Alex, but when Willie looked at Julie again he smiled.

“Not sure yet,” he said. He offered her his elbow, and Julie grinned as she linked arms with him. They found themselves at a bench, just as a man in a dog costume sat down. Willie was perched on top of the bench, next to his memory of Alex, and Julie stood just behind them.

This scene had that same faint overlay from before. Even Willie had two versions of him, the movements just slightly off. Julie reached for the fainter Willie’s elbow.

“I guess this is it?” he said to her. He looked back at Alex.

“Do you know what’s different?” Julie asked him.

“The way he talked about you guys,” Willie said softly. “He, uh… mentioned how they died. In this version, I guess that means Reggie. Nothing bad!” he added quickly. “Sad, I guess.”

Julie swallowed.

“Show me,” she said.

“Dude, I know you weren’t pacing this much when it was me,” Reggie said as Alex walked the length of the studio for the tenth time.

“I feel like it’s taking longer,” Alex blurted.

“No, it isn’t, calm down,” Luke said. “Flynn – Reggie, can you tell Flynn to tell Alex it’s not taking any longer than last time?”

Reggie relayed the message. Flynn looked at him, then at the track Alex was wearing in the carpet.

“You know I can literally see where you’re walking, right?” Flynn said. Alex winced as he realised the track in the carpet was literal. “Also, Reggie’s right. Or… Luke. Whatever. They’re fine.”

“Are you talking to them?” Carlos asked excitedly.

“Alex is freaking out,” Flynn said.

“Ohhh,” Carlos said knowingly. Alex frowned. That was a little sibling tone if he ever heard one, and he rarely enjoyed things that came after that tone. “Because Julie’s with his _boyfriend_.”

Alex sputtered. Yes, all right, he was out to the Molinas, but what was he supposed to _say_ to that?

“It’s not – I mean, yeah, Willie’s my boyfriend, but I’m worried! I was worried with Reggie!” His voice reached a higher register than he could usually hit, and he saw Luke wince.

“You didn’t pace for me though,” Reggie said. “Kinda offended about that, actually.”

“If this launches drama while we are sitting here,” Flynn said slowly. “I am never speaking to another boy again.”

“Carlos is making fun of me!” Alex exclaimed.

“Yeah, we heard,” Luke said with a grin. “Alex, hey.” He bounded over to Alex, gripping his shoulders lightly.

“It’s ok,” Luke said. “It’s Julie. She’s got this.”

“I know,” Alex said. “I trust her. It’s just…”

“Dude, what’s going on?” Reggie asked, joining them. He hesitated before touching Alex – not as long as he had before the time travel, but far longer than he would have before today. Alex’s nerves increased.

“We haven’t really talked about what’s different for Willie,” he said. “I mean, as far as we know nothing big happened. He didn’t _seem_ different. But if Julie’s right, and what’s happened is you three were hanging on to the wrong universe…”

“Oh my god, is he worried about what might change?” Flynn blurted.

“Yeah, maybe I am – did you hear me?”

Alex, Luke, and Reggie all stared at her. She stared blankly back at Reggie, waiting for an answer.

“Oh…kay. Maybe she didn’t,” Alex said.

“Reggie?” Flynn prompted.

“Yeah, that was just a really good guess,” Reggie said. “Hey, guys, do you think Flynn’s psychic?”

Flynn rolled her eyes.

“I cannot believe Julie voluntarily puts up with you,” she said, though her smile made Alex think she didn’t really mean it.

“Look, Alex, did Willie seem any different to you? Other than, you know, he came back and he was friends with Julie and Flynn, which was a little weird since we weren’t there for that,” Luke said.

“No,” Alex admitted.

“He’s still Willie,” Flynn said, looking just to Alex’s left. Reggie jerked his head sideways until she made eye contact with Alex. “It’s not like you’ll suddenly stop dating, right? Things were fine before we time travelled, and they were fine when we came back.”

“Yeah,” Alex said. “Yeah, you guys are right.”

A squeak from the direction of the couch interrupted them, and Alex turned to see Julie struggling to keep Willie from tumbling off the couch.

“Why do you boys keep passing out?” she grunted. “I’m doing all the work!”

Willie blinked awake and sat up hurriedly, sending Julie a sheepish grin. Alex hurried over.

“Sorry about that,” he said.

“When I do me, I expect somebody to catch me,” Julie said sternly.

“Deal,” Luke said eagerly.

“Now she’s encouraging them,” Alex said to Willie.

“What, you wouldn’t catch me?” he said playfully.

“Well, clearly I missed my chance on that one,” Alex said. “Sorry, by the way. I was… freaking out.”

“Aw, you were worried about me, hot dog?” Willie said. His eyes darted over to Reggie for half a second after he said it, and Alex realised – he’d never called Alex that in front of Reggie in this timeline. Just tiny changes, but now Alex was seeing them for real.

“Yeah, I was,” Alex said instead of voicing any of this. “You sure you’re ok?”

“Julie does good work,” Willie said. His grin turned wicked for a second, and he said, “Thanks, butterfly.”

“Butterfly?” Julie said with an incredulous laugh.

“You like them, right?” he asked.

“Wait, she gets butterfly? And I got _hot dog_?” Alex said. His voice was jumping octaves again.

“You’re cute when you’re flustered,” Willie said as Alex’s friends – cruel, cruel friends – laughed.

“But that’s all the time!” Alex exclaimed. “It’s not – I mean – I’m very easily flustered!”

Willie nodded sagely.

“I like that about you,” he said. Alex made a noise not unlike a helium balloon dying a slow death, but at least he was rewarded for his pain with a kiss on the cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why. Why was my first Julie and Willie scene back in Phantom Singular so easy and then this was like. pulling teeth or something I swear.  
> Anyway I love them all and I hadn't done some Willex in a while so here you go. Alex is cute when he's flustered. Willie is a complete dork. None of this is news but it's fun to write.  
> (Is Carlos weirdly quiet? He took Flynn's words about drama to heart.)  
> Next up: Julie left herself for last, which doesn't make sense if you think too hard about it but I needed it for plot reasons. Also Reggie volunteered to go first. That's my excuse. Anyway, Julie has to dig around in her own brain, which you would think would go easiest. Wouldn't you?


	12. Two Worlds Collide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie has one person left to work on: herself.

“So it’s your turn now, right?” Carlos said, sitting beside Julie on the couch. The others were ranged around the studio, pretending they weren’t all watching Julie closely. “No ghosts left?”

“I would say there’s still the same number of ghosts as before,” Julie said, earning a shove from Carlos and a snort from Alex. “Yeah, I just have to mess around in my own brain now.”

She wasn’t sure how that would work. It was _her_ head; it probably wouldn’t show up for her in the same helpful images that Willie and Reggie’s minds had conjured. But it had worked on her ghosts, and it was all they had.

“What was it like?” Carlos asked.

“What did it look like?” Julie replied.

“Kinda boring, actually,” Carlos said. “I expected magic to have more bright lights or something.”

“It does, sometimes,” Julie said, remembering when she’d first discovered her powers. “It was like… I kept seeing the things they were thinking about.”

“Like holograms?” Carlos asked with a smirk. Julie rolled her eyes, tugging him into a sidelong hug that bore a passing resemblance to a headlock.

“Yeah,” she said. “Like that. Go on. If I pass out when I’m done, you don’t want me squashing you.”

“Definitely not,” Carlos said. He shoved her away. “You’re in my space enough as it is.”

Julie laughed as he retreated. She looked over at Luke and Reggie.

“See you in a minute,” she said. Luke frowned, bouncing anxiously. Reggie tried a smile on, though Julie was pretty sure she saw it shake at the edges.

“You got this,” Alex said. Julie closed her eyes, trying to find that same feeling she’d had before.

She frowned. Her hands just felt like hands. Her thoughts stayed stubbornly abstract.

Maybe it was because she was in her own head. Maybe it just wouldn’t be the same. Julie tried to think back to when she’d met the boys. That was when her world had split, the first time the change was something she could notice. The boys had remembered when prompted, been able to tell her what happened. Surely if she focused, she could tell herself the same story?

The CD had played. The boys had started to scream. Julie had run screaming from the studio and returned some minutes later, cross in hand.

She played the details of that conversation over in her head, but she couldn’t peel away the old timeline. It was like a nail she just couldn’t pry loose. Finally, she groaned and opened her eyes.

“I can’t figure it out,” she said. “It’s like… when it’s me, it doesn’t work.”

“Here,” Flynn said, offering Julie her hands. “See if it’s you, or if it’s that you’re alive.”

Julie stared at her.

“You think that’s it?”

“I think we only found out you had magic when we found out ghosts were real,” Flynn said. “You’ve never done anything magic except to ghosts. If I’m wrong, and you reach my brain just fine, whatever. Maybe it’ll help you anyway, who knows? We should at least rule it out, though. Variables, right?”

“How do you come up with these things?” Reggie asked her as Julie took Flynn’s hands.

“I watch a lot of tv,” Flynn said. “It’s in the genre conventions.”

“There’s a trope where magic only works on ghosts?” Julie asked, amused.

“No, but there’s a trope where your powers match the bad guys,” Flynn said. “I’m talking about Caleb, just so we’re clear. The boys are on thin ice sometimes, but they’re cool.”

“Hey!” Luke said.

“She did just say we’re cool,” Reggie pointed out.

“Because we’re on thin ice,” Luke said.

Julie took one hand away from Flynn’s to rub her face. It wasn’t quite a facepalm, but she was getting there.

“Ok, I’m trying it,” she announced, and her audience quieted. She reached out to Flynn and –

Nothing.

Julie tried again. Still none of that feeling she’d had with the boys.

“Ok, Flynn’s right, it only works on ghosts,” Julie said, pulling away and throwing up her hands. “That’s weird, right?”

“Well, when you touch us, you’re literally touching our souls,” Reggie offered. Everyone stared at him. Julie wasn’t sure how the others felt, but she knew she was greatly disconcerted by the idea.

“So how are you going to fix your memories?” Carlos asked, after a second of looking between Flynn and Julie with great confusion. “Also, did they say anything cool?”

“Yeah, I did,” Reggie said. Luke shook his head fondly, before tugging Reggie closer and knocking their heads together.

“I don’t _know_ what to do,” Julie moaned. The day had gone so well, barring her initial panicked flight from the studio, and now she couldn’t even make things right in her own head. “And if it’s soul contact, shouldn’t I be able to do it to myself? I literally can’t get _away_ from my soul.”

Nobody had an answer for that. Julie groaned again, flopping back on the couch to stare up at the ceiling.

“Let’s just take a break,” Flynn suggested. “You guys could rehearse, we could watch a movie, do something. Maybe you’re just thinking too hard about it.”

“Of _course_ I’m thinking hard about it, Flynn!” Julie burst out, sitting up to glare at her. “I can’t just – just turn it off, go do something else like this isn’t happening! I have to fix this, I –“

Flynn was staring at her, one hand tucked close to her chest like she’d had to pull back when Julie moved.

“I’m sorry,” Julie said. “I don’t want to forget.”

“That doesn’t mean you get to yell at me when I’m trying to help,” Flynn said, quietly and sternly.

“I know,” Julie said. “I’m so sorry.”

Flynn sighed and sat next to her, pulling her close. After a second, Flynn reached out and snapped her fingers imperiously.

“Are you two her boyfriends or not? If she’s going to date ghosts, you could at least make yourselves useful!”

As Luke and Reggie scrambled to Julie’s side, Julie saw Carlos’s eyes light up. He didn’t say anything, a mercy and a concession coming from her little brother, but Julie knew she was going to be in for a long and annoying conversation soon. She could only hope he didn’t say anything to their dad before she figured out what she wanted to say.

“We’ll figure it out, Julie,” Alex said, sinking into the armchair and watching her as she nestled into the cuddle pile. “There’s gotta be another way to do this.”

Julie nodded, not trusting her voice. She reached across Luke to find Reggie’s arm, pulling them both just a bit closer with one tug. Her brain insisted that if she just stayed with them, if she held onto Luke physically, she could keep her memories of him right where they belonged.

Carlos crept over, and Luke dodged his hand as he reached for Julie’s shoulder.

“Do you want me to tell Dad I’ll just bring your lunch out to you?” he said.

Julie smiled at him.

“I should go in to eat,” she admitted. She looked at Flynn. “Flynn’s right, I need something else to think about.”

“I mean, it’s Dad’s cooking, there’s only so much to it,” Carlos said.

“He’s been getting better!” Reggie exclaimed. “And I’m still sure he does a mean barbecue.”

Julie laughed as she untangled herself from her boyfriends and Flynn. She pulled Flynn up from the couch first, then looked around at her ghosts.

“You guys wanna come?” she asked.

“Could we have some?” Luke said hopefully. Julie winced, remembering the mess that had happened with the ice cream as their ability to eat had gone in and out like bad WiFi.

“Maybe a little,” she said, unable to say no to the puppy dog eyes they were all sporting. Anyway, if she never practiced that, she could never get better, and she’d have to deal with Luke staring longingly into the fridge _forever_.

Her dad looked impressed as they wandered in.

“I was about to ask if you were getting hungry,” he said. “How did it go, _mija?_ ”

“Good!” Julie said. “Reggie and Willie are doing fine. Apparently, it’s going to be a little harder for _me_ , but we think that’s because I’m alive, so I guess that’s overall a good thing?” Her voice was getting into lie voice territory. She clamped her mouth shut and smiled.

“Ok,” her dad said, eyeing her like he knew she was trying to play it off more casually than it deserved. “Well, I did say I’d make lunch, what do you kids want?”

As they sat around, Julie periodically pausing to concentrate on letting the boys try to eat, she started to hum a song that was stuck in her head.

“What is that?” her dad asked.

Julie frowned. She could have sworn her dad knew the song.

“It’s ‘Dark Room,’” she said. “It’s a…”

The words _Luke Patterson song_ died on her lips.

_“What do you mean, twenty-five years ago? What about our show?” The ghost stared at Julie, fiddling with his jacket. “What about my friends?”_

_“Sunset Curve?” Julie checked. He nodded. She scrolled down and blinked in surprise._

_“Wow,” she said. “You were really in Luke Patterson’s band? Wait, that’s Carrie’s dad! Carrie’s dad was in a band with Luke Patterson and he never even said!”_

_“Wait, Bobby?” The ghost tried to grab Julie’s phone, only to pout when his hands phased through._

_“Do you mind?” Julie asked sourly._

_“Carrie’s dad_ is _Bobby, though, right?” he asked nervously._

_“Yeah,” Julie said. “That’s so weird.”_

_“So you know them?” the ghost asked eagerly._

_“I know Bobby,” Julie said. “Me and his daughter used to be best friends, but… it’s not exactly like I could go over now. And Luke Patterson’s music was what got me into rock in the first place, but it’s not like I’ve ever met him.”_

_“Luke had a solo career?” the ghost said, sounding lost._

_“Yeah,” Julie said. “I remember hearing that he was in a band, and some of that stuff made it pretty big, but mostly people just talk about his solo stuff.”_

_“Who’d they get to play bass?” the ghost asked softly._

_“They just used studio musicians,” Julie said. “This says they never got anybody to play regularly.”_

_Her eyes widened._

_“I didn’t know ‘Dark Room’ was Sunset Curve!”_

_“What’s that?”_

_“People always talked like it launched Luke’s solo career,” Julie informed him. “But I guess it was the last song the band ever did together.”_

_She paused, replaying “Dark Room” over in her head. She’d looked up the lyrics once, and she remembered seeing something about it being a song written for a friend who’d died. Julie hadn’t paid much attention at the time._

_“I think they wrote it about you,” Julie said quietly. The ghost shook his head, stepping back from Julie._

_“No,” he said. “You can’t just tell me they broke up and –“_

_He vanished._

Good riddance _, Julie thought, trying to ignore the pang of guilt in her stomach._

_The ghost was back the next morning, almost giving Julie a heart attack when she turned around after playing the piano for the first time._

_“That was really good,” he said softly. Julie looked down._

_“I read a little more about you,” she admitted. “Sunset Curve… they did a lot after you died. As far as I can tell, a lot of songs about you.”_

_He stared at her, clearly confused._

_“It just made me think about some things, that’s all,” she said, standing up, ready to brush off the moment._

_“Did you lose somebody?” he asked, surprising her._

_“My mom,” Julie admitted through a throat that wanted to close._

_“I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re the only person who can see me.”_

_“That’s kind of how ghosts work, right?” Julie said._

_He grinned faintly._

_“Yeah, but… I guess I was hoping I could talk to the guys.”_

_Julie didn’t know what to say to that. She knew what it was like, to want to talk to somebody you could never speak to again. But to have them in front of you, unable to even know you were there?_

_“Hey, maybe we should play together sometime!” he said brightly._

_“Uh… yeah, sure,” Julie said, more to placate him than anything else. Still, it might be good to get back into music, especially with somebody who had only known her since her mom’s death, and not before. She’d consider it._

Julie took a deep breath. She’d wanted to recall the new memories, from the timeline she was in. But singing that song without even realising, even while she was looking at Luke and Alex – if she’d done anything at all, it had only made things worse in her head.

“We need to find Ava,” Julie said quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I gave you a cuddle at the start, right? This is ok, right?  
> This is the last big angst moment, I swear, it's all wrap-up from here. I just hadn't given Julie a low point yet, and since I'm saving "Julie forgets the guys" for something special, I thought we'd have one last flashback instead.  
> Also. Am I working on "Dark Room"? maaaybe. haven't written this genre of music in years so we'll see but. maybe.  
> Next up: "Conveniently" Ava is also looking for them.


	13. Find the Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie tests out a new power. The driveway fills with tension.

After the uproar died down a little, mostly thanks to Flynn standing up and roaring for everyone to be quiet, Ray slid into a seat at the table, pinching his nose. It had been Reggie’s seat, but Reggie had gotten half up anyway, and he gladly moved closer to Julie, trying to figure out what had brought that on. She’d trailed off for a minute, was it another flashback?

“Why?” Ray asked quietly. “You said it was going well, what you were doing.”

“I didn’t lie,” Julie said. “But I don’t think I can fix my memories on my own. We tried – I think what I can do only works on ghosts.”

Ray’s face shifted through at least nine different emotions in a few seconds. He sighed.

“What just happened, Jules?” Flynn asked.

“That song is about Reggie,” Julie admitted. Reggie started to smile, pleased and surprised. He and Julie had been working on something for Luke, but had they been making something for him? Wait, why would that freak her out so much?

“Luke wrote it.”

“No, I didn’t,” Luke said, looking around as though somebody else could explain this. Reggie’s smile dropped.

“You mean adult Luke wrote it?” he asked nervously. “So not for me, but…”

“Yeah,” Julie said. She looked over at her family, who looked puzzled when Reggie glanced over. Flynn at least had Reggie’s words to go off of, and she looked appropriately horrified, but Carlos and Ray were still staring at Julie like they were waiting for her to finish.

“I was remembering a song that doesn’t exist,” Julie said. “Even though I knew where I was. Luke was right in front of me, and I just…”

“You can fix it though, right?” Carlos blurted.

“Oh, little dude,” Reggie murmured. Julie looked miserable, and he reached out to her. She grabbed his hand and squeezed so tight Reggie wasn’t sure he could feel all his fingers. Luke hopped up to sit on the table beside her and lifted her chin slightly, smiling when Julie met his eyes. She smiled back shakily.

“Yeah, we can fix it, Carlos,” Ray said. “Hey, I know you haven’t gotten any of your homework done so far this weekend, go take care of it for now, all right?”

“But…” Carlos looked between Ray and Julie with an expression of worry too big for his small face. Reggie really wanted to hug him.

“We’ll tell you if anything happens,” Julie said. “It’s ok.”

He got up to leave, but stopped by Julie’s chair, looking torn.

“Carlos?” Julie asked.

Reggie barely had time to get out of the way before Carlos was flinging himself at Julie, hugging her tightly.

“It’s ok,” Julie said again, rubbing his back. “You know, I told you what was happening so you _wouldn’t_ be weird?”

“You’re the weird one,” Carlos said, pulling away.

“Yeah, you’re probably right about that,” Julie admitted as Carlos bounded out of the room and up the stairs. When he was gone, she looked over at Ray.

“I didn’t mean to scare him,” she said softly.

“Whoa, hey, Julie, this isn’t your fault!” Reggie blurted indignantly as Luke nodded emphatically. At the same time, Ray spoke up.

“It’s ok, _mija_ , I know you thought this was almost over.”

“I didn’t tell him the really scary stuff,” Julie said quietly. Ray nodded.

“It’s ok,” he said. “It’s hard to know how much to say, but everybody deserves to know when somebody they love is hurting.”

Reggie wasn’t sure if that was Ray talking about how Julie had told him what was going on, or maybe a reference to when Julie’s mom was dying, or something else he had no context for, but he knew for a fact Ray wasn’t just talking about Carlos anymore.

Whatever the subtext, it seemed to help Julie. She smiled at him.

“So,” Ray said, clapping his hands. “How do we find Ava? You said she was gone.”

“I was wondering,” Julie said, looking around. “You guys always seem to know where you’re all going, when you poof out, but you don’t talk about it.”

Reggie looked around at the other ghosts. He’d never really thought about it before, but that was weird, wasn’t it?

“It’s like we can sense it,” Willie said. “If you get good enough, sometimes you can tell where other ghosts have gone even when it’s been a minute.”

“So like magic?” Flynn said slowly. “Because that could be useful.”

“Ava did say the time travel connected us,” Reggie said. He looked around at the others. Smiles were starting to appear again, as the idea of finding Ava seemed much more manageable than before.

“Ok,” Julie said. “Let’s do this.”

They started with a test run, which Reggie was quite sure was really just ghost hide-and-seek. One of the guys would poof away, and Julie would try to find them. Reggie had happily volunteered to go first, and though Julie didn’t find him after fifteen minutes, she did figure out his general location. On Luke’s turn, she eventually found him. Alex’s turn was even shorter, though he stretched the rules and hid outside by the road. When it was Willie’s turn, he winked at the other guys before poofing away.

“Wait, is that too much?” Alex asked as they all registered where Willie had gone. “I mean, she only _just_ started to do this.”

“She’s done it so far,” Luke said eagerly. “Come on, boys, it’s Julie.”

“Are you guys ready or what?” Flynn asked, poking her head into the studio.

“Yeah, Julie, Willie’s ready!” Reggie called gleefully. He headed out to meet the girls and Ray, excited to see what Julie would do. Julie smiled at him before furrowing her brow.

“Wait,” she said. “Is he at the beach?”

The boys cheered, bouncing up and down in excitement. At one point, Luke actually lifted Reggie off his feet, which did render Reggie speechless for a few seconds.

He just really liked his boyfriend.

“I got it right?” Julie exclaimed.

“Yeah!” Luke said, growing still long enough to touch her cheek. “Right away.”

“I got it right,” Julie repeated. “Flynn, I got it right! I can do this!” She barrelled into the small crowd of ghosts, hugging them and jumping with them. Flynn giggled uncontrollably, though that didn’t stop her from joining the hug mob a second later.

“So… are you going to actually go get Willie?” Ray asked after a few seconds of this. “Do I have to drive you to the beach now?”

“Oh! I got him,” Alex said.

“This isn’t a good time for a beach date – and he’s gone,” Reggie said. “He’s Alex. He’s focused.”

“Only compared to the rest of you,” Flynn muttered. Reggie considered being offended, but it wasn’t like Flynn was wrong, and she did say it with a smile. He settled for jostling her with his shoulder. Anyway, Alex did come back a few seconds later with Willie in tow, both grinning from ear-to-ear in that way Reggie had learned usually meant they’d kissed recently.

“Proud of you, butterfly,” Willie said to Julie.

She smiled back at him.

“Thanks,” she said. “This probably sounds weird, but… I’m proud of me, too.”

“You should be!” Luke exclaimed.

“Are you ready to try finding Ava?” Flynn asked Julie. The mood dropped just a bit, but their recent successes were fresh, and they were _so_ close now. Reggie bounced on the balls of his feet as he watched Julie close her eyes to concentrate.

Julie’s eyes flew open a few seconds later, and she looked horrified.

“Ava’s coming here!” she burst out, just as the ghost in question appeared at the top of the stairs down to the garage.

There was a very awkward moment when Ava first appeared where Willie and Alex tried to step in front of each other. With a silent look, they compromised by both hiding behind Julie.

“What are you doing here?” Julie asked.

“She’s here already?” Ray asked Flynn in an undertone.

“Ghosts travel fast,” Flynn whispered back.

“Such suspicion,” Ava said. “I’d ask what I did to deserve it, but I’ve noticed people just don’t seem to trust me. Maybe it’s something about my face.”

“Or your mile-long sadistic streak,” Willie offered. “But, you know, you’re right, it could be your face.”

Flynn snickered. Alex reached for Willie’s hand.

“Maybe _don’t_ antagonise her until we know what she wants?” he murmured anxiously. Apologetically, Willie laced their fingers together. He hadn’t meant to worry Alex, after all.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed the way your memories are collapsing in on themselves,” Ava said. She held up her little time travel sphere. “I happen to have a solution.”

“And what if we told you we’d already figured it out?” Flynn asked.

“Flynn!” Julie hissed. Flynn gave her a serious glance, and whatever Julie saw in Flynn’s face made her stay quiet. Beside Flynn, Ray made a motion like he wanted to step in front of the girls, but it was clear from his face that he had no idea where “in front” would be. Willie kind of wished he could help the guy out.

“Yeah, uh – no more weird flashbacks here,” Luke said. Ava eyed him.

“You can’t have,” she said after a moment.

“I did,” Julie said quietly. “They just had to be reminded where the real world was.”

Ava curled her fingers around her ball, holding it close to her chest. She studied each of their faces, and Willie tried hard to look like Flynn’s bluff was completely, one-hundred percent true. No lies here.

“Just them,” she said finally. “Not you, Julie?”

“What? No!” Julie said, and Willie sighed. So much for Flynn’s plan. Ava smirked at her.

“I would _love_ to pick your brain about how that happened, but for now it’s enough that it did,” Ava said. “Flynn, darling, you’re going to want to hold this.”

“Uh, no?” Flynn said, stepping back.

“Flynn? Julie?” Ray asked, reaching for their shoulders.

“It’s fine, Dad,” Julie said. “She’s not going to do anything.”

“Anything _unhelpful_ ,” Ava put in.

“Look, if you really want to help us, maybe you could stop being creepy and threatening to send us back in time for five minutes?” Luke said. “Julie figured the rest of this out, why shouldn’t we trust that she can do this, too?”

“Frankly, I’m starting to understand your unwavering belief in her,” Ava said. “I’ve seen some impressive feats. And my Instrument couldn’t send dear Flynn back in time, even if she asked nicely, which is _why_ I’ve come. It needs a reminder of reality, too.”

“So why Flynn?” Willie asked. “No offense, Flynn, but she’s just a regular lifer.”

“Considering everything that’s been happening lately, I’m honestly ok with that,” Flynn said.

“My Instrument needs an example of reconciled timelines, and there are two people who remember the changes without having had three worlds in their head,” Ava said. “Call me what you like, but I prefer not to let my Instrument get into Caleb’s hands.”

“Well, that’s not what you said this morning,” said a voice Willie had hoped never to hear again. Caleb had arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look, everybody's bluffing or hiding things or flat-out betraying people. This is my jam, honestly. I enjoy this particular brand of chaos immensely.  
> Also, did I make the second part from Willie's pov entirely for the last paragraph? Yes. Yes, I'm very mean to this boy.  
> Next up, a partnership falls apart, surprising nobody except the people who didn't know it had happened in the first place. Julie just wants to get the Instrument to Flynn and away from the bad guys.


	14. Hands Up if You Believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb and Ava do a great impression of upset toddlers. Scary Julie returns, and Luke, for one, is thrilled.

“Caleb,” Julie said, wishing she could block all her boys from view. Caleb was grinning at her coldly, standing in the same spot Ava had appeared in just minutes ago. Her dad sucked in a breath, reaching out for Julie’s shoulder.

“Mr Molina, we’ve never been formally introduced, but you have been to my club,” Caleb said, coming down the stairs.

“Stay back!” Julie said. His smarmy expression didn’t waver, but she noticed he stopped.

“Or what?” he asked, cheek twitching.

“Julie said you can’t hurt anybody,” Flynn said.

“I haven’t laid a finger on any of you,” Caleb snapped.

“You’re here, and that’s hurting Willie!” Flynn burst out, storming to Julie’s side. Julie’s dad reached out to her as well and dragged them both a few steps back.

“Flynn…” Willie murmured, sounding uncomfortable.

Caleb took a jerky step back up the stairs, fumbling as his heel first hit the edge of the step. He grimaced. Julie and Flynn exchanged glances.

“For once, you and I have something in common,” he said to the girls. “We both don’t want Ava using us for her own ends.”

“Don’t you dare sell me out, Caleb!” Ava snapped, storming up the steps toward him. Julie wasn’t ready to let down her guard, though, not with the way both ghosts clearly wanted something from her and Flynn.

“Please, like you could have hidden your intentions for long,” Caleb said. “Maybe you should have thought of this before you _kept_ things from me. Why not let me handle these false memories of yours, if I had the power?”

“I tried that,” Ava said. “It doesn’t like you.”

“You could have at least told me,” Caleb snapped. “I don’t like not knowing things, Ava.”

“I don’t like _you_ ,” Ava hissed.

“I’m so shocked and hurt,” Caleb said. He looked up and met Julie’s eyes.

“You should know that once she got Flynn to fix her Instrument, she was going to use it against you,” he said cheerfully. “It’s why she swallowed her pride enough to work with me.”

“You little traitor!” Ava shrieked, lunging at him. Caleb didn’t seem to have any idea of what to do in a physical fight, because he froze, and the next thing Julie knew the two ghosts were tumbling down the steps.

“Julie, we have to get that thing,” Willie whispered to her. Julie swallowed hard; giving the Instrument to Flynn was the only way she knew of reconciling her memories. But how to get such a small thing from two ghosts who kept flickering in and out of her driveway?

She took a deep breath and prayed they wouldn’t notice her as she crept forward.

The day had already been so weird at this point that maybe Luke should have expected to see Julie disappear from sight.

“Where –“ Reggie said, only to cut himself off with a yelp as Alex stepped on his foot. When Luke looked over at Flynn and Ray, they seemed just as bewildered as he felt.

“Do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing?” Luke whispered to Alex.

“I think we just spent a whole day helping Julie learn to use magic, and I’m really hoping that if I trust her this all works out,” Alex replied, eyes fixed on Caleb and Ava. They’d separated finally, with Caleb looking the worse for wear. Ava’s hand was still clenched tightly around her Instrument.

“You just ruined your chance of getting back at them,” Ava hissed. “And for what? To spite me?”

“You shouldn’t have tried to cut me out,” Caleb said. “And when we leave here, I’m still your only option for help. Julie certainly won’t give you the magic you need now.”

Ava snarled and drew her hand back in a fist. Luke grabbed Reggie’s arm. Reggie grabbed Luke’s.

Ava didn’t have the Instrument anymore.

“Enough!”

Luke was so relieved he nearly fell into Reggie, who hastily helped him stand up and patted him on the back comfortingly. Julie appeared at the base of the stairs, holding the Instrument up high for everyone to see.

“You’re both going to leave,” she said firmly. “No more messing with our lives, or trying to play us. I know what I can do now, and I know you’re scared of me.”

She glanced over at Luke and the others. Luke nodded at her encouragingly. He _loved_ scary Julie when she wasn’t yelling at him to get out of her room or something.

Julie’s eyes crinkled in a smile for a second before she set her jaw and looked back at Caleb and Ava. She tightened her fingers on the Instrument, and a low hum started to fill the air. Luke winced, rubbing his ears. It was like when Reggie turned his amp up way too loud, pressing in on him and vibrating his whole skull.

Ava gasped.

“This means it’s working, doesn’t it?” Julie said. She looked nervous for a second, then pulled her arm down so she held the Instrument in front of her chest. “So I could do what you can’t. If you don’t leave us alone, I save your lives. If either of you ended up as ghosts anyway, you’d owe me.”

“This is what happens when people get introduced to this world through you,” Ava said crossly to Caleb. “They get _good_ at ultimatums.”

Caleb’s jaw moved, but he kept his mouth shut. He turned, gave Willie a tight smile and a wink, and disappeared. Ava took a step towards Julie.

“Don’t even think about it,” Flynn said. Luke hastily poofed in front of Julie, and his bandmates had the same idea. Willie stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Flynn, who was hanging on to Ray’s wrist, behind Ava.

“It’s cute, that they try to defend you when you’re the one with the power,” Ava said.

“It’s called love,” Julie said. “And you really don’t get it at all.”

The humming got louder, and Luke tried to look tough even while he wanted to cringe and cover his ears. Ava glared at Julie for one more second before poofing away.

“Oh my god,” Julie said, dropping the Instrument. It rolled between Luke and Reggie, sending them into an awkward dance as they tried to avoid tripping on it, and came to rest gently against Flynn’s shoe. Flynn picked it up gingerly, clearly expecting it to activate, but it stayed silent.

“So now what? Do I just carry it around? Tell bedtime stories?” Flynn eyed the thing like she expected it to grow teeth and bite her.

“That’s what it sounded like?” Julie said. “Making sure it knows which one is the real world?”

“Great,” Flynn said. “I guess I’ll get right on that. How do we know if it works?”

“Hopefully, I stop having flashbacks,” Julie said dryly. “What are you all staring at?”

Luke hadn’t taken his eyes off her since Ava left. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Reggie and even Alex weren’t doing much better.

“You disappeared,” Willie said. “We couldn’t see you.”

“What?” Julie said. She looked around, and Luke nodded.

“It was kind of terrifying,” he admitted. “But really cool when you showed back up.”

“Julie?” Ray said softly.

“Dad,” Julie said, running past her band and flinging herself into her dad’s arms. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even know I went invisible, the guys just told me, so if that freaked you out –“

“It’s ok,” Ray said, though Luke was almost sure that was more of a wish than a fact. “I’m glad you’re all right. Just…” He pulled away enough to look Julie in the eyes.

“I know there’s only so much you can promise, and I never want you blaming yourself for what other people do,” he said seriously. “But… can we try for a month or two of quiet?”

“I’d really like that, Papi,” Julie said with a laugh. Ray chuckled and pulled her close again.

“I guess your friends probably want to turn this into a group hug,” he said after a moment.

“Oh, sweet, Ray’s in on the group hug this time!” Reggie said, poofing over immediately and hugging Julie and Flynn, who’d gladly tucked herself under one of Ray’s arms.

“Come on boys,” Luke said, slinging one arm over Willie and one over Alex. “Hug time. At this point, I think this is just how we wrap everything up.”

“I’m actually ok with that,” Alex said, grinning at Willie. Luke bounced forward, worming his way into the small space between Reggie and Julie and flicking one of Flynn’s braids so she knew he was there. She rolled her eyes in his direction, almost perfectly guessing where he was.

“We should go tell Carlos everything is ok!” Julie exclaimed suddenly, jolting in the middle of the hug and starting a slow disintegration of it. Luke kept an arm around Reggie and a hand in Julie’s, who towed them back to the house with her dad, Flynn, Alex, and Willie following behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I steal Julie's ghost powers from an unpublished original work of mine also featuring teenage girls who hang out with ghosts? yes absolutely. I have no qualms about it. I think Julie deserves to be a ghost superhero if she wants to be.  
> One last chapter! The wind-down, the fallout, and of course, the set-up for next time, because of course there's more, it's me.


	15. Everybody Lose Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flynn has coaxed the Instrument into the right timeline, as far as anybody can tell. Ava and Caleb each think it's time to take the Instrument back.

Flynn kept the Instrument close, usually in her bag at school. Her parents thought she was a little weird for carrying it around at home, but she explained earnestly that it was a favour for Julie and she knew it seemed weird, but it was really important, and her mom had given her a sceptical look but nodded for her dad to back off anyway.

She was pretty sure she had an entourage of ghosts at all times – she saw Willie disappearing around corners at school sometimes, and Reggie was simply not subtle. Flynn didn’t ever see Alex or Luke, of course, but Nick assured her he’d seen them around, way more often than usual. Julie was unusually tight-lipped about it the one time Flynn asked, before launching into a rambling anecdote about this one time she helped Carlos without him knowing it, which Flynn took as an admission that Julie had asked the guys to watch out for her. She didn’t mind. It made sense.

Flynn didn’t mention it to anybody – she knew how Julie and Nick and the ghosts would react, if she said that she kept glimpsing Caleb or Ava watching her. She wasn’t sure they hadn’t seen the two evil ghosts themselves, but she knew most of her friends were the type to keep it quiet, and the rest would follow their lead.

Flynn tilted her head, frowning into her locker as she realised that her friend group was really depressingly alike in that whole self-sacrificing, I-did-it-to-protect-you kind of way. Maybe Nick had a point about the importance of their screaming sessions.

Not that she’d _admit_ that to him. Flynn swung her bag off her shoulder, ready to trade out her school supplies for the day, only to stare in horror at the open flap.

“No,” she said. “No, we are _not_ doing this.”

She looked around frantically. Julie was down at the end of the hall, and Flynn waved at her.

“Jules! Get your butt over here!” she said. Flynn held the bag out as soon as Julie got close enough to see.

“It’s gone?” Julie said, freezing in her tracks and looking from Flynn to the bag and back in horror.

“Please tell me the flashbacks are gone, at least,” Flynn said. “You remember any songs Luke never wrote?”

Julie frowned, then shook her head.

“I know I knew it,” she said. “But I don’t remember it anymore. And – and I remember when I met the guys, what Reggie was like.”

That was one thing Flynn would rather have spared her friend. Ill-advised ghost boyfriend thing aside, Julie hated people being sad around her, and she’d always taken Reggie’s post-death issues a little personally. Flynn wrapped an arm around Julie’s shoulder.

“So we definitely should find the Instrument, right?” Flynn said.

“Oh, yeah,” Julie said. “No way can we let Caleb and Ava keep it. I don’t _think_ they can use it right now? From the way Ava was talking? But I definitely don’t trust them with it.”

“Great,” Flynn said. “Just how I wanted to spend the weekend. So much for your promise to your dad.”

Julie sighed forlornly.

“Yeah,” she said, leaning into Flynn’s side. “So much for that.”

The bond left over from time travelling seemed to finally be wearing off; Caleb noted with glee that neither Julie nor Flynn noticed him as he crept closer. He prepared to check through Flynn’s bag, only to see Ava appear on the other side of the girls, reaching out at the same time.

“You!” he snapped.

“Me,” Ava said. “Go away. You can’t hurt me, but I can hurt you, remember?”

“You can’t even do simple magic,” Caleb said. He stepped back as Flynn shut her locker and slung her bag back on her shoulder, and then he and Ava were scrambling after the girls, Ava shoving at him to try and get closer.

Caleb was never going to get anywhere at this disadvantage, not without rebuilding some alliance or other.

“Look, we still want the same thing,” he said.

“You’re conning me,” Ava said.

“Yes, but we both know that,” Caleb said. “We get the Instrument. Change Julie’s life. Then we go back to our usual violent animosity.”

“I notice you like that proposal of mine much more now you’re saying it,” Ava said. “And now you know what Julie can do to you if you break your deal.”

“Are you in?” Caleb asked sourly. She really had no business acting as though he was the transparent one, when she couldn’t even convince Flynn to hold a ball for her.

“Fine,” Ava said. “I still need magic. You still need me. But we _both_ need my Instrument.”

Flynn and Julie had stopped at their next classroom, and Caleb grinned as Flynn sat down and set her bag down beside her. The flap hung open.

“Then let’s get it,” he said. He sauntered over to Flynn’s desk and began to carefully rummage through her bag.

Pencils, books, paper… no Instrument. Caleb barely resisted the urge to throw the bag across the room. He couldn’t risk alerting Julie to his presence.

“Where is she keeping it?” Caleb hissed. He whirled around to look at Ava for answers. Ava was staring horrified at Flynn’s bag.

“She isn’t keeping it,” she said.

Carrie closed her locker with more force than necessary, glaring at Flynn and Nick down the hall. Nick was telling Flynn some story or other, complete with ridiculous arm gestures that made him look like a bird, and Flynn was giggling at him. Julie came up behind them, and when she spoke she startled Nick so much he almost fell.

Trust Flynn and Julie to take everything from Carrie. Sure, she’d broken up with him, but that didn’t mean she was _done_ with him. And wasn’t there some sort of ex-friend code, to go with the best-friend code?

Carrie resisted the urge to rest her head against the cool metal of her locker. She was making excuses and she knew it. Nick broke up with her because she hadn’t been good enough for him, and because Julie was. That was how it always went.

With a sigh, Carrie glanced down at her backpack, making sure it was zipped. She frowned. There was a weird little ball in the water bottle pocket.

“Oh, good,” she said, pulling it out. It had an uneven surface, and it almost felt like it was humming. Probably static electricity. “Such an _original_ prank. Maybe these things would work better if they made sense!”

She tossed the ball into the garbage can on her way out of the school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyyy I've been teasing this forever, you're welcome.  
> I'll post another shorter interlude work before I start the next one, giving you a little time for softness with the band and Willie before I launch you into some Flynn and Carrie shenanigans. Then it's going to be full speed on Flynn and Carrie's Excellent Adventure very soon!  
> Thank you as always for reading and commenting, I live for your feedback and your screaming and your accusations of my having a cold and unfeeling nature. The investment in this story and the way I've written these characters really means so much to me, and I hope I continue to deliver the quality of work you're looking for.


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